AUBURN — Androscoggin County commissioners voted 2-1 Wednesday to create another committee to study dispatch services.

This one, proposed by Commissioner Jonathan LaBonte, will look at creating a center that stands as its own department outside the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, has modern equipment and an expandable locale.

The topic is familiar territory — the commission disbanded a group last winter that had been studying ways to consolidate dispatch services. That came apart over discussions on who would pay what.

“As a municipal official, it just seemed like L-A 911 was trying to shove something down the throats of the small towns and I believe that was what failed in the last committee,” Chairman Randall Greenwood said. This would be different, he said. “This is a phased-in, modernization expansion that would benefit the entire county, making it available to Lewiston-Auburn.”

Greenwood and LaBonte voted in favor of creating the new committee, Commissioner Elaine Makas against. A proposal by Makas to add all three county commissioners to the group instead of just one was voted down by the other two.

The group is to report to commissioners in December.

Androscoggin County currently has four dispatch centers out of the Sheriff’s Office, Lisbon, Livermore Falls and the Lewiston/Auburn 911 dispatch center.

Livermore Falls will close next month and Lisbon has indicated it’s interested in talking to the county about the future, LaBonte said.

“The discussion quickly changes if there’s an opportunity to consolidate with Lisbon to then have two dispatch centers, and how you go about walking those toward a reasonable marriage that can save Lewiston-Auburn money, save all the taxpayers money, and I think provide a better service,” he said.

The new committee also includes LaBonte, Livermore Falls police Chief Ernie Steward, Mechanic Falls police Chief Jeff Goss, Androscoggin County Sheriff Guy Desjardins, Poland Fire and Rescue Chief Mark Bosse, Durham fire Chief William St. Michel, Turner Fire and Rescue Chief Michael Arsenault, Auburn police Chief Phil Crowell, Lewiston Fire and Rescue Chief Paul Leclair, Emergency Management Agency Director Joanne Potvin and Lisbon police Chief David Brooks as chairman.

kskelton@sunjournal.com

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