DURHAM

Selectmen tabled a vote Tuesday to change the location from which town emergency squads are dispatched.

The issue will be decided during the board’s next meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 20, town administrator Janet Smith said.

In response to fee increases and communications difficulties, Durham intends to shift emergency dispatch duties from Androscoggin County Communications Center to the town of Lisbon. The week’s delay will give Smith time to clarify a contractual question with Lisbon, as well as to draft a response to Androscoggin County Sheriff Guy DesJardins.

The town received a letter from DesJardins in mid-October, notifying it of the county’s intention to raise dispatch fees for 2013.

The county previously billed its towns on an hourly rate for processing communications; beginning in 2013, the county will charge each of its contracted towns — per person — $2 for 911 calls, $2.50 for fire and rescue calls, and $6.15 for police response.

The letter stated that Durham and 11 other towns — including Lisbon, Leeds, Sabattus, Minot, Turner and Wales — faced a Nov. 21 deadline to agree to the county’s increased “user fees.”

The commissioners’ approval of fee increases are a concession to residents of Lewiston and Auburn, who complained about having to pay municipal taxes to fund city emergency services in addition to county taxes that subsidize service to smaller towns.

Smth’s letter will confirm Durham’s use of county communications to field 911 calls, but clarify that Lisbon would be the agency of scene management.

Also Tuesday, board mem- bers approved use of a Homeland Security grant to outfit the selectmen’s meeting room as an emergency operations bunker.

Using $3,600 in federal money, the modestly sized meeting space will be equipped with a white board, power supply, radio and antenna.

The town also accepted $2,000 in risk management grants to replace three town office work stations with ergonomically correct chairs, desks and other amenities.

jtleonard@timesrecord.com