Township Councilmen Move Forward with Shared Services RFP

In split vote, officials decided to send a request for proposal to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office for possible grant money

The majority of the Washington Township council voted Tuesday to move forward with a request for proposal to keep the possibility of grant money available if officials decide to use county dispatch. The split 3-2 vote came after a lengthy discussion about the wording in the resolution and the council's intent. Councilmen Glenn Beckmeyer and Richard Hrbek, who voted against the measure, disagreed with using merger and consolidation throughout the document when officials have said they are only interested in sharing dispatch services. The resolution that was ultimately voted upon was taken from what Montvale, Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake had previously approved for their municipalities. Because the original deadline passed and the Bergen …

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Question of the Week

Should Township Councilmen Apply for Grant That Would Apply to County Dispatch?

Emergency personnel expressed their concerns at a special meeting

Members of the Washington Township council are considering submitting a request for proposal for a study that would investigate shared services in order to be eligible to receive grant money from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. The township was given an extension, along with Westwood and Hillsdale, to apply for the grant money. The three municipalities have been investigating using the county dispatch service, based out of a Mahwah facility. The grant money could be used to help offset those costs. The three municipalities are also in the midst of investigating a Pascack Valley dispatch service with six area towns that would operate out of the former Old Tappan police headquarters. The grant money could not be used to offset those …

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Emergency Personnel Worried About Proposed Dispatch Changes

Washington Township councilmen said public safety is their number one concern

Members of the Washington Township emergency services and residents packed the council chambers Wednesday night for the special council meeting called to discuss applying for grant money that could be used to fund shared dispatch service with the county. Council Vice President Steve Cascio, a member of the shared services committee, explained that the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has $100,000 in grant money that the township is eligible to receive. Officials would have to approve a request for proposal (RFP) to do a feasibility study for shared services and if the county approved, the grant money could be used for shared equipment and utilizing the county's dispatch service run out of Mahwah. Officials are under a tight time …

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