The Bel Air town commissioners discussed upgrades – one to the police department's dispatch center and the other to town hall's heating and air conditioning systems - during a work session Tuesday evening.
Police Chief Leo Matrangola proposed awarding two contracts to renovate the dispatch center, as well as upgrade the closed captioned TV and fire alarms in the office. The existing fire alarm system is "obsolete," Matrangola said, and the closed captioned system is not in an "ergonomic" position for the dispatchers.
The cost to upgrade those systems is $15,354, while remodeling the dispatch center is another $25,736, all funded through various sources in the budget, Matrangola said. If approved, the town will also save more money by using employees to handle some of the work.
Another place to house the dispatch center during the roughly six-week renovation period is still being sought, Matrangola said.
Public Works Director Randolph Robertson also proposed awarding a contract to upgrade the town hall HVAC system using funds from a Maryland Energy Administration grant. The $57,000 grant was originally scheduled for upgrades to the lighting in the parking garage, but would only update one level, if that, Robertson said.
Instead, the town wants to upgrade four of the six HVAC systems and boiler, which will cost $66,200; the additional $9,200 will come from $25,000 initially set aside to update two of the HVAC systems.
Possible future renovations
Town Administrator Chris Schlehr announced during the work session that the town was looking into upgrading the audio/visual system in the rotunda and conference room, doing away with the existing projectors. Nothing is proposed yet, Schlehr said, the town is just looking at different prices.
One of the options the town is considering is putting 55-inch TVs in the rotunda and conference room for the staff and audience members. Instead of projecting different documents, town employees and any developers could bring a laptop and flash drive for the TV screens, Schlehr said.
These changes would promote sustainability and the town is looking into using the same supplier as Havre de Grace, he added.
Upcoming road improvements
Two state highway projects are coming up in the next couple months, both involving Route 924, Robertson said. The partnership meeting is scheduled for March 12 and he expects the projects to begin a month or so after that, with a start date in mid-to-late April.
Two portions of Route 924 would be resurfaced consecutively, from MacPhail Road to Fulford Avenue and from Gordon Street to Route 1. The changes would include safety upgrades like redoing the handicap ramps, sidewalks and crosswalks, Robertson said.
No utility work would be involved.
Other business
There will be re-appointments to the Cultural Arts Commission and Board of Appeals at the upcoming meeting, as well as a public hearing for the previously discussed mid-year budget.
A local eighth grader at Southampton Middle School will be honored.
Town commissioners are expected to introduce the town ethics ordinance, as well as approve a resolution that would allow the issuance and sale of bonds, as required for the town's purchase of the Branch Banking and Trust building.
Tuesday's work session included a closed session to discuss appointments to the Board of Ethics.
The next town meeting is Monday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m.