The Town of Rochester has been awarded a $5,000 grant to install further security at Town Hall.
Facilities Director Andrew Daniel secured the grant, which will pay for the installation of a new security system and security cameras that will monitor the front door entrance and parking lot.
On December 18, Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar praised Daniel for his initiative in obtaining the grant, saying, “He’s the one who put the grant application together … so that’s really quite a thing. I’m glad to see some security … come into town.”
Daniel will work with a security system vendor on the installation process, Szyndlar said.
Also relative to security, Szyndlar said the town would need to budget $4,000 for security system monitoring of all town-owned buildings once the town completes its transition to the new regional emergency dispatch system.
Szyndlar said she learned this during recent talks with the Regional Old Colony Communications Center (the ROCCC) based in Duxbury, which will be taking over the 911 response system in town come spring of next year.
The new security system will replace in-house monitoring by the Police Department since the police station will not be overseen by staff after the transition.
The purchase and installation of the security system and fire alarm is included in the grant money awarded to the town to facilitate the transition, while the $4,000 will be an added cost to cover the on-going, real-time monitoring of all town-owned buildings, including the police and fire stations, library, Town Hall, and Senior Center, among others.
In other matters, Szyndlar said tax bills have been mailed out and are due January 16.
The continued Verizon contract public hearing was continued again until March 19, 2018. The town is still negotiating with Verizon, although the contract is expected to be similar to the town’s contract with Comcast that it has had for ten years; however, the next contract will not be for longer than five years, Comcast insists.
Also during the meeting, the board accepted the resignation of Christine Watling from the Council on Aging Board of Directors and appointed Pauline Munroe.
Town buildings will close early at 12:00 pm on Friday, December 22, and will also close early on Friday, December 29, at 2:00 pm.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for January 8 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
Rochester Board of Selectmen
By Jean Perry