BENTON -- The Board of Selectmen this week discussed ongoing concerns with fees that the Central Maine Regional Communications Center in Augusta is charging for dispatch services.

Chairman Mark Brown said Tuesday that, although CMRCC has dispatched State Police and Kennebec County Sheriff's deputies to Benton for the past year, the town has yet to pay for the service.

Benton contracts with Somerset Communications Center in Skowhegan, meanwhile, for 911 calls.

"We haven't paid for it yet because we're still questioning the cost," Brown said. "The cost is over and above what we pay in county taxes."

Brown said that the state-run Augusta center is charging $4 per capita in a town of 2,557 people. County-run Somerset charges $1 per capita, he said.

District 54 State Rep. Kenneth Fletcher, R-Winslow, said Tuesday that the Legislature will discuss the issue in January. Small towns such as Benton that do not have police departments rely on the county sheriffs and State Police, but Somerset cannot dispatch for Kennebec County, he said.

"The towns are saying, 'I'll pay for the service, but I'm not paying that high a cost,'" Fletcher said.

Fletcher recalled that the legislature decided a year ago to consolidate public safety answering points (PSAPs), from 47 to 26. Most are consolidated into counties, but the Augusta dispatch center is state-run, he said.

"It appears that it is very expensive because the state's cost to provide the service is significantly higher," he said. "Then, Kennebec County did away with its dispatch and went to Augusta as well, driving the cost even higher."

Fletcher said that Benton and the other small Kennebec County towns owe the Augusta center money -- the question is, how much.

"The rate case is ongoing," he said.

In another matter Monday night, the Benton board decided to go ahead with its normal winter parking ban, Brown said. From the middle of this month until April 1, selectmen have the authority to have vehicles that are in the way of snow plows towed.

Also, Brown announced that the state will move ahead with paving the Benton Neck Road. Brown said that the road is in horrible condition, and that the project is long overdue.

Larry Grard -- 861-9239

lgrard@centralmaine.com