Belchertown, East Longmeadow, Hadley, Ludlow, South Hadley, UMass, Ware and Wilbraham are part of a regionalization study.
AMHERST - Consultants with Virginia-based AECOM will be back in town later this month to meet with communities interested in joining a regional emergency dispatch center.
Amherst began looking at regionalizing with Hadley and the University of Massachusetts in the spring of 2008. Belchertown expressed an interest soon after. Later, Pelham, South Hadley, South Hadley Fire District 2, Ludlow, Ware, Wilbraham and East Longmeadow asked to be part of the study. The state awarded $125,000 to pay for the feasibility study in 2009.
The cost of the return visit is part of that study, said Town Manager John P. Musante.
The state has also awarded the project a $735,000 grant to pay for pre-construction and design costs and has extended that grant until June of next year, Musante said. He said both he and the state remain committed to regionalization.
Musante became town manager Oct. 1; the project began during Laurence R. Shaffer’s tenure. Shaffer retired Sept. 30.
“I remain convinced that regionalizing public safety dispatch will further improve our already excellent operation,” Musante said, adding that regionalization will provide “better service at less cost.”
In September, Shaffer said that East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, and Ludlow said they want to participate. Musante said no agreements have been signed.
According to the study, the amount each community would save each year depends on the number of communities that participate.
For example, with four communities and UMass, the savings for Amherst would be $215,600 for the town and $93,802 for UMass. Belchertown would save $302,267, while Pelham’s cost would increase by $36,372. Hadley would save $60,334.
Nine towns, plus UMass and South Hadley Fire District 2, would increase savings and reduce Pelham’s cost to $24,683.
Both Ludlow and Wilbraham would also save about $150,000 each, according to the report.
Musante wants the consultants to meet with potential members to answer questions and look at how to solicit commitment.
The state would also contribute to operating costs as well as the pre-construction and design costs. Shaffer had said the state would contribute at least 40 percent of the operating costs.