Wed Mar 10 2010
by Amanda Harnocz
Reporter
Tallmadge -- Stow's new dispatch center is not ready for Tallmadge to move in by July 1, as had been scheduled, so Tallmadge's telecommunicators will remain in Tallmadge until the center is up and running, according to city officials.
Tallmadge Public Service Director Dave Kline said Stow is behind schedule and expects the switch to happen in later months.
"The dispatchers will remain in the city until the project is complete," he said.
Stow Mayor Karen Fritschel said an electrical consultant the city was working with on the dispatch center recently died, which set the project back.
"We're shooting for sometime in August," she said.
Otherwise, the work for the center is going well, said Fritschel.
"This week, I think, a lot of the equipment is being installed," she said. "It's very technical. We are running things pretty well. I've really been pushing to get it open [as soon as possible.] Hopefully, things will continue to go smoothly."
Stow and Tallmadge both approved a 20-year agreement allowing Stow to provide Tallmadge with emergency dispatch service.
Fritschel said the agreement requires Tallmadge to pay Stow $315,000 for dispatch services this year, with a 3 percent cost of living increase applied each year thereafter.
Additionally, Tallmadge will pay Stow $30,000 per year to maintain Tallmadge's radio systems.
Also, all of Tallmadge's seven dispatchers will become Stow employees after the switch.
The transition from Tallmadge to Stow is going well, according to Kline.
The Tallmadge telecommunicators have been training, learning and are becoming comfortable with the other employees and the city of Stow, he said.
"Their transition to Stow is an ongoing process until they are fully accepted as Stow employees," Kline said.
Previously,Tallmadge offered Mogadore emergency dispatch services.
Mogadore will pay Stow $46,000 for the first year of service, with a 3 percent increase accrued annually.
Any improvements to dispatch hardware or software will be made by Stow, but Mogadore must reimburse Stow for those costs in an amount not to exceed $2,000 annually for the first 10 years of the agreement and then in an amount not to exceed $3,000 annually for the remaining 10 years of the contract.
Editors note: Stow Sentry Associate Editor Kristin Casale contributed to this report.
E-mail: aharnocz@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3911
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