HOULTON, ME— In a cost-saving measure to taxpayers, the Aroostook County Commissioners will proceed to switch emergency landline 9-1-1 calls to the Penobscot Regional Communications Center (PRCC) instead of the current arrangement with the Maine Department of Public Safety’s Public Safety Answering Point.
Cellular 9-1-1 calls will continue to go directly to the State Police.
At their meeting last Wednesday evening, the commissioners authorized the county administrator to begin negotiations with PRCC and proceed with the changeover by July 1, 2009.
The commissioners said they weighed the annual contract with PRCC of $180,000 annually against the requested rate increase by the Department of Public Safety of $261,741 for service and considered the safety and cost considerations when making their decision to save taxpayer money and switch service to PRCC.
In other business, County Administrator Doug Beaulieu reported that a $1,700 fine by the Bureau of Labor Standards was waived after the facilities manager corrected a violation that was found during a safety inspection of county facilities. The fine did not involve the jail. And, the commissioners toured the jail as mandated by law noting that the inmate population was high that particular day with a total of 90 persons. Beaulieu says the capacity is 66 persons and the daily population fluctuates.
The next meeting of the county commissioners is March 4 in Fort Kent.
