FARMINGTON – Members of a committee studying regional efficiency offered to pool a $5,500 grant received to go toward developing a greater countywide communications center in Franklin County.

“As you folks are well aware of, there have been major concerns about the (Franklin County dispatch center) from the fire services, law enforcement and emergency medical services about the security up there,” Franklin County Emergency Management Director Tim Hardy and Farmington firefighter told commissioners Tuesday.

The group had previously received a grant written by Farmington Town Manager Richard Davis to do a regional efficiency study of five departments: Farmington, Jay, Wilton, Livermore and Livermore Falls.

One thing that came out of that study, Hardy said, were concerns about security and space at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to implement some of the regional dispatch ideas.

Since that study, more towns have been invited to participate and another grant was received to look at developing a regional communications center. The application was for $50,000 to bring it right up to the bricks and mortar, Farmington Fire Chief Terry Bell said.

They received $5,500 instead, Hardy said, which they appreciate.

The bottom line, Hardy said, is “They definitely do need a new facility.”

“Funding is going to be a major road block in this whole situation,” Commission Chairman Fred Hardy said.

As the committee meets, Tim Hardy said, maybe they could agree to pool the money together and get someone on board.

Bell said some of the members of their group have visited different communication centers including Oxford County’s to see what they have and how it works.

It’s always going to stay in the county, Bell said.

“We’re looking at more efficient ways to run it. It will cost money up front, but maybe down the road it won’t,” Bell said.

“I have a little problem putting $50,000 on a study …when you can be putting it into bricks and mortar,” Fred Hardy said.

Sheriff Dennis Pike agreed with him, but said, the bottom line is “We have a consensus. We know what we need … from our successors.”

Commissioners later reviewed an estimate to conduct an engineering study of both the sheriff’s office/dispatch center and the county courthouse.

An appropriate fixed design fee should be budgeted at $25,000, with normal reimbursable expenses for document reproduction, shipping and travel expenses in connection with the project to be about an additional $1,000, according to SMRT Architecture Engineering Planning out of Portland.

Commissioners agreed to have the study done on county property for capital improvements, Fred Hardy said.

County Clerk Julie Magoon said she would bring the engineering study up with county Budget Committee members at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 27, in the Superior Court room. If the study is approved, it would be put out to bid.