Six township positions that may have been eliminated will continue functioning for now as Council ended their fifth and final budget workshop meeting on Monday.
Instead of eliminating two positions under the department of public works’ shade tree division, Council accepted a list of alternative cuts submitted by Acting Director of public works, Ken Ewers. Outsourcing tree services would have realized $55,000 in savings for the township in 2009. The recommendations that Ewers submitted outline $56,000 in cuts that Council found to be a suitable alternative.
When discussion of whether or not to switch the township’s local police dispatch system to the County’s system continued, Council decided they did not have enough data to deem it as a good or bad decision. Council’s direction was to proceed to formal introduction of the budget with the dispatch system and the salary and benefits of the four dispatchers factored into it. In the meantime, Township Manager Chris Schultz and CFO Tom Merchel will prepare data that will show Council the volume of functions that would be missed without local dispatch as well as the amount the township would save without it.
Before Monday’s meeting, Council made $600,000 in cuts from the $24 million budget that was originally proposed. In addition, Schultz identified an additional $15,000 to $20,000 that will be saved through minor cuts in the recreation department and department of community development.
Mayor Dan Roccato said an additional $200,000 might be cut if the township is successful in negotiating health benefits. Roccato said the township is not looking reduce the current benefits offered to employees, but rather is negotiating the way those services are delivered. Roccato said the township could save $200,000 or more or could save nothing, depending on meetings this week. Council decided that $200,000 was a prudent number that should be factored into the budget that is introduced next week.
The 2009 municipal budget will be formally introduced at Council’s May 18 meeting. Members do not expect the budget to conform to state CAP laws and therefore officials will need to go before the local finance board for approval of waivers. Council will need to wait at least 28 days from introducing the budget before they can adopt it, Roccato said.
Check Check a future print edition of The Sun for more information on Monday’s meeting.
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May 14th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Well… I say no to cutting any dispatchers in any Township. Here’s why. After the dispatchers are gone and(I think) all calls would go to CENTRAL and then Central would dispatch them out to the townships. Central doesn’t know the ins and outs of my town the way township dispatch does. In an energency call township dispatch nows the sections of town the same way the local police do. Township dispatch could possibly cut response in an area of town that township dispatchers now know what that’s arera called locally. In my opinion Central doesn’t know the ins and outs every township has. I don’t want police(in any township) to be dispatched and go to the wrong area of because of not knowing. And you know why, because that emergency call might be for me, my family, or even you. None of us want the wrong call to be made. Especially when it could be me or you, family. You people better think about the impact you’re about to have if this all goes through. Just remember it could be you. Well… we all have to make sacrifices.
May 27th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Removing the dispatchers would be like removing the spokes of a wheel. The job they do and the service they provide is underestimated. They handle quite a few walk-ins at the police station. They keep an eye on people detained in cells so that they do not come to any harm. They not only dispatch; they perform countless clerical duties. With them, the department is a well-oiled machine. Without them, the whole department - particularly the patrol units - would endure a major adjustment. It’s not worth it to remove them to save a few dollars.
May 30th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Fred Hall Says:
May 14th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Well… I say no to cutting any dispatchers in any Township. Here’s why. After the dispatchers are gone and(I think) all calls would go to CENTRAL and then Central would dispatch them out to the townships
Fred you do know that currently all 911 calls go to the county and then are transferred to Moorestown. Wake up, the switch will save lives.
Lorraine Devenney Says:
May 27th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Removing the dispatchers would be like removing the spokes of a wheel. The job they do and the service they provide is underestimated. They handle quite a few walk-ins at the police station. They keep an eye on people detained in cells so that they do not come to any harm.
Lorraine, how about putting a Police Officer at the entrance to handle walk ins and to keep an eye on prisoners. What the hell is a dispatcher going to do if a detainee gets out of hand. I’ll tell you, they would call a cop. If someone wants to walk in and file a report, they call an officer in to take the report.
Bottom line is, we don’t need 4 full time Police Dispatchers. Cut it down to 1. The dispatcher can work an 8 hour day, Monday to Friday. A Police Officer can then man the desk after hours, weekends and on the days when the dispatcher calls out on a paid sick day and goes to work dispatching for PSEG at $200 an hour. Just like the Cops do.
May 31st, 2009 at 5:53 am
Fred, not sure if you know it but all 911 calls go to Westampton dispatchers who then, if necessary, will transfer the call to Moorestown PD. The dispatchers give location information received from the caller. It is up to the individual Officer to know the streets, not the dispatchers. Plus I imagine the county dispatchers are familiar with Moorestown as they currently dispatch our Fire and Ambulance already and that seems to be good enough for us.
Lorraine, as for the walk ins I agree, but reduce the number of dispatchers to 2. He/she can work the 7am to 7pm shifts alternating long and short work weeks. 3 and 4 days a week respectively. After hours the station will be manned by the own call detective who is not patrolling anyway. The detective can then call for a Patrol unit to come in and take a report or whatever the walk in needs. I don’t think we need a dispatcher sitting in the Police Station 24/7. If the dispatcher calls out sick a Patrolman is assigned to the desk.
As for keeping detainees safe, if a detainee is out of control or attempting to hurt themselves I guarantee that currently a non Police dispatcher will call the Police in to resolve the issue. There is no way a dispatcher would ever attempt to control a detainee.
As toward the clerical duties, I have full faith and confidence in the abilities of the county dispatchers to perform their duties.
We need to cut back on our spending and not just the dispatchers. Perhaps not paying officers for sick time when the officer is not home sick but up on main street working for PSEG directing traffic at $200 an hour from PSEG and collecting sick pay for the shift they are missing. It’s called double dipping. I wonder why no one is complaining about this fact.
October 28th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I have spoken to the dispatchers in a few non-emergency situations (who hasn’t when he/she has a teenager?) and one or two ‘emergency’ cases and I can’t give them enough praise. I am especially grateful to the women I have talked to when I’ve had to make those after-dark calls. They went above and beyond for me.
Please don’t cut the dispatcher positions. It would be a great loss to Moorestown. We really count on them. They ‘know’ us and that means a lot!