The Niles Times
Government officials are working to formalize an agreement for maintenance of radio equipment used by both McDonald and Weathersfield fire departments.
"Any time we can save money across municipal lines I'm all for it," said McDonald Mayor Glenn Holmes.
In August, Weathersfield trustees signed off on an agreement with McDonald village to split the costs of maintaining the fire department radio equipment that both departments use. Weathersfield and McDonald safety forces are dispatched out of the Niles 911 center on the same radio frequencies.
For years, said trustee James Stoddard, the two governments have had an informal agreement to share radio frequencies and to split maintenance costs for radio system infrastructure such as repeaters, satellite receivers and antennae.
Weathersfield fire Chief Randy Pugh said the agreement is now being put down on paper that Weathersfield will pay 70 percent of a maintenance contract, and McDonald will pay 30 percent. The monthly maintenance contract will cost $140 in total.
"We both use this equipment," said Pugh.
Holmes said the village is expecting to ratify the agreement soon. He said the village law department was examining the language in the agreement to make sure it is clear.
"It is much cheaper this way than we would be able to do ourselves," said the mayor.