NORWICH – A motion to refill the Emergency 911 chief dispatcher’s vacancy in the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office dominated the discourse at Monday’s meeting of the county’s board.

Supervisor Jerry Kreiner, R-Plymouth, moved to fill the position, suggested a salary of $37,108 to be funded by the department’s escrow salary account and included in the motion approval for the sheriff to refill any vacancies that may come as a result of a promotion to the position. Town of New Berlin Supervisor Ross Iannello seconded the motion.

Last month, Sheriff Ernest Cutting, himself, requested that the position be refilled, as he said he would do during the planning stages for the county’s 2011 budget. The former chief dispatcher, Matt Beckwith, was appointed director of the county’s emergency management and fire services at the beginning of last year. Cutting’s request has been reviewed within the finance and personnel committees, with no decision made at this point.

Kreiner and Iannello said the chief dispatcher’s role within the department was “vital” and said the sheriff was taking away personnel from other departments in order to fill in.

“I don’t usually support things like this, that add bodies,” said Iannello, who is politically unaffiliated, “but he’s (the Sheriff’s) convinced me that he needs this position.”

During discussion, several lawmakers said they would not be in support of adding another employee at the Chenango County Public Safety Facility. Finance Committee Vice Chairman Dennis Brown, D-Pharsalia, commented that the “job is getting done.” Supervisor James Bays, D-Smyrna, suggested moving Beckwith back to his former position and under the sheriff’s management. Brown said he would prefer moving the entire 911 dispatcher’s office under Beckwith, and away from the sheriff’s oversight.

The chief dispatcher would manage eight full-time and one part-time dispatchers already on staff. The Sheriff’s Office has been plagued by overtime costs for many years, most significantly in the corrections department. It is unknown how much overtime is the result of having a man down in the dispatch center.

Supervisor Peter C. Flanagan, D-Preston, said the large amount of overtime costs at the Public Safety Facility needs to be addressed, especially with rising costs for employees’ contractual retirement and health care benefits. It is estimated that health insurance benefits for Chenango County employees rise approximately $1 million a year.