from mytowngovernment.org: Board of Selectmen Meeting Agenda
Executive Session
Monday, December 18, 2023 1:00PM
Meeting Room
20 The Common
Phillipston, MA 01331
This agenda lists all matters anticipated for discussion; some items may be passed over, and other items not listed may be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law. Any member of the public planning to record the meeting must first notify the Chair.
1:00 Call to Order
1.Vote to participate in mediation between the Massachusetts State 911 Department and the Town of Templeton regarding dispatch services. Shows meeting cancelled.
from Templeton TA weekly report: 12/14/2023 Meeting has been set to attend next week in Phillipston with state 911 department.
from 12/17/2023 Athol Daily News:
from Athol Daily News: (12/17/2023)
PHILLIPSTON — Officials from Phillipston and Templeton are planning to meet with representatives of the State 911 Department to see if an accord can be reached to renew the Regional Emergency Communications Center (RECC) agreement between the two towns.
In an exchange of emails with the Athol Daily News, Melanie Jackson, the board’s administrative assistant, said, “Templeton has always provided excellent dispatch service over the years, and we are grateful to them for that. The main issues at hand are financial transparency and collaboration.”
At last Wednesday’s Phillipston Selectboard meeting, members reviewed a letter from Joseph Crean, director of special projects for the State 911 Department, stating it was his agency’s belief that “it is in Phillipston’s best interest to remain in the Templeton RECC.”
In his letter, Crean noted “projects involving Athol will not be considered by this department at this time. It is critical to understand that the department will not support or consider any regional 911 project involving Athol due to their ineligibility to receive any department grant funding until fiscal year 2028.”
The letter did not provide the details behind Athol’s ineligibility for State 911 grants.
Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said that Athol’s funding through the State 911 Department was suspended for a period of 10 years after Athol withdrew from a regionalization effort with Gardner. Suhoski explained that this was done at the urging of residents.
“The Special Town Meeting that night was well-attended, and folks were riled up and they voted to show their displeasure with the (agreement),” he said. “The Selectboard then withdrew from the regionalization effort with Gardner. So, we put that in the rear-view mirror and focused on centralizing police and fire dispatch at our dispatch center in Athol. So, anyway, as a result of that we were kind of placed on the ‘naughty list’ for 10 years.”
Suhoski added that he was a “bit irritated” with the tone of Crean’s letter. Had Athol and Phillipston reached agreement on a new RECC, Suhoski said, “Were not expecting that 911 would be funding us immediately. We felt there would be a sufficient budget from our own resources – economies of scale – and whatever Phillipston pays to Templeton anyway.”
from The Recorder 2017:
ATHOL — After the town voted in February to withdraw from an 2-year-old intermunicipal agreement to regionalize the town’s dispatch services, the state is presenting a new option.
Frank Pozniak, executive director of the state 911 Department, tasked with coordinating and implementing enhanced 911 service in Massachusetts, sent Athol Town Manager Shaun A. Suhoski a letter detailing new option, one where Gardner and Athol could execute a new agreement — one different from the selectmen reversing their February vote or canning the agreement and forcing the department to repay $739,564.54 in state money for the project. Athol officials continue to have misgiving about the state’s response.
Selectboard Chairman Lee Chauvette said Thursday that all board members feel it is unacceptable for the department to transfer Athol’s 911 calls simply because Athol opted out of the intermunicipal agreement, which he said did not contain any language regarding when an opt-out could occur.
Chavuette said Selectmen Steve Raymond and Holly Young will work with Suhoski, Fire Chief John Duguay and Police Chief Russell Kleber to draft a response and offer additional information “as to what the town is doing to combine its police and fire dispatching within the community under one dispatch center at the Athol Police station.”
The Selectboard voted to withdraw from the agreement following a nonbinding special town meeting vote following a petition drive started by Young, who at the time was not on the board.
