Borough Council votes to use Somerset County system
By Mary Ellen Day, Special to the News
The Borough Council passed a resolution, 4-2, at Monday night’s meeting to have police nonemergency radio dispatching services handled through a shared agreement with Somerset County.
Council members Steve Szabo and Susan Asher, both Republicans, voted no. Democrats Ed Komoroski, Ron Skirkanish and Mark Gregor voted for it along with Republican Lou Petzinger.
Councilwoman Asher, the previous chairwoman of the Safety Committee, said she reported in September that the estimate for conversion to the county system is $346,758 versus $185,000 for four county dispatchers. The cost to keep four Manville dispatchers is less than 2 cents per $100 of assessment in borough taxes, Ms. Asher said.
Mayor Angelo Corradino called the dollar figure “inflated” Wednesday and didn’t expect the conversion to cost more than $100,000. The county will give borough officers radios to use for two years. When the borough has to buy radios, the mayor said, it anticipated lower costs because of more competition in the marketplace.
No dispatcher will lose a job, the mayor said. Manville hired two dispatchers as patrol officers in January and expects to hire a third dispatcher before June when the man will go for training with a timetable to be on the street in December.
A fourth dispatcher will be retained as an administrative assistant, the mayor said.
”This will give us more cops on street where we need it most,” he said.
Three hires will bring the force to 23, he said.
The mayor said 911 for police, fire and rescue has been going through the Somerville system for 15 or more years, and now nonemergency calls will be shifted there.
At the meeting, all but two speakers from the public were against the shared service.
The resolution brought most of Manville police officers to the meeting. Manville PBA President Nickolas Franzoso read a prepared statement on behalf of the PBA, stating it hoped the council was making an “informed decision.”
”The issues of changing to county dispatch has come up in the past and has been voted down,” he said. “I do not know what has transpired to bring this issue up again and, possibly, make the change to county dispatch.”
Dispatchers meet and greet walk-ins, field complaints, document complaints and field general questions for assistance. They monitor cellblock security and, if an officer is in need, the dispatcher is the first to come to his needs. Dispatchers conduct the monthly emergency management siren test and enter data into computer system. They monitor county and surrounding towns’ radio communications and are involved in domestic violence management files.
Dispatchers call for tow trucks when needed and provide security to headquarters when no officer is present. Dispatchers also record and forward information on traffic lights, road conditions and dead or injured animals to the Public Works Department.
”Please keep in mind that a full shift of police officers is three is on the road per shift,” Ms. Asher said. “Several stops require two patrolmen, which leaves one available officer. We will not have the manpower to respond to headquarters for walk-in complaints or questions or emergencies. Our facility will be locked and closed with no access to the public from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. Will this provide for the health and well-being of our residents?”
The mayor said Wednesday that there will be a phone outside the door to headquarters to connect to the dispatcher, who will call an officer off the road to respond.
Officer Franzoso said if the police department was properly staffed, the department would support the change to county dispatch.
”I am here to explain why the PBA believes Manville dispatchers are better for the Manville community than county dispatchers,” he said. “Switching to county dispatch jeopardizes the officers as well as the community. We no longer will have a dispatcher dedicated to our residents and our officers to sense the severity of the call and the proper assistance needed. When our officers respond to fights, bank robberies, flood rescues, any school-related issues and numerous other situations, our dispatchers are able to focus all of their attention and resources on our residents and officers — something that is difficult to do when you are dispatching for numerous other towns while sitting in a basement in Somerville.”
The PBA president said, “All of our members either reside in have family or friends in this town that we greatly care about. A decision to switch to county dispatch at this point in time with the current staffing levels is wrong for the community. You are putting officers and the community at risk. If you really cared about getting more officers on the streets and the safety of the Manville community, replace the four dispatchers with four police officers who can be assigned to the road. This would allow more officers to be on the street while enhancing the level of service to the residents and not putting them at greater risks.”
Councilman Komoroski said the idea of a county dispatching system had been “kicked around and fizzled out due to not getting enough council support.”
According to Mr. Komoroski, he was told there would be minimal flaws, and things like the dispatcher’s knowledge of the town would be worked out.
”This may be a factor when Manville will flood again and not knowing the access to areas of the borough due to closed streets,” he said.
Mr. Komoroski said he was sure the county could and would do an adequate job during a normal day, but worried that during wider storms — flooding, wind damage, snowstorms, etc. — Manville might get less attention.
Another of his concerns was the empty police building evening weekdays, all weekends and holidays.
”Manville is a walking town, and headquarters is a focal point of the borough,” he said. “We are eliminating the possible instant safe haven for that person in distress.”
Mr. Komoroski said the subject “does not sit well with me. Maybe I am just stubborn and don’t like change. Maybe I live in a small town because I like the personal service that it offers. I am for the majority of shared services. I think using tools and some resources that are available is great except when it comes to split-second decisions and personal knowledge of some areas.”
Mayor Corradino assured him a new patrolman would be hired.
Former councilman Richard Onderko asked the mayor if the resolution was discussed in committee.
Mayor Corradino said, “Yes, I believe it was.”
Council members Szabo and Asher seemed to demur, and Mr. Komoroski said his committee had never met just on that issue.
”I think it is a bad idea to outsource our dispatch at this time,” Mr. Onderko said. “I think you need to be truthful with the residents of this town and the taxpayers. This isn’t done for free. If the county wants to wants to give us the county dispatch for free, I am all for it, but this is going to cost the town over $300,000 to convert. That was discussed when I was a member of this governing body. This doesn’t make sense. Where is that money going to come from?”
Mr. Onderko asked how the council could vote at the meeting without knowing the financial impact.
According to the mayor, the savings would be more than $250,000 a year, minus the cost of a new officer.
”The dispatchers going to the county is a major savings for this town,” he said.
”It is time to make a decision and this is the time to do it,” Mayor Corradino said.

