ROCKLAND – Several towns are still undecided about accepting full dispatching services from Knox Regional Communications Center, citing concerns about unanswered questions.

“I see some things that don’t seem to make much sense,” Warren Town Manager Grant Watmough said Thursday. “There’s so many unanswered questions here that it’s not good.”

Knox RCC, which comprises the former Knox County and Rockland dispatch centers that merged earlier this year, has offered countywide services for law enforcement, fire and ambulance.

The Knox center also will serve as the county’s Public Safety Answering Point when Enhanced-911 comes online in April. The PSAP center will answer all 911 emergency calls to towns, whether or not they have their own dispatch centers.

Towns with dispatch centers would then be contacted either by telephone or via a $40,000-per-year computer link with the pertinent information.

As a result, the county commissioners have proposed a formula for assessing those towns not already covered by Knox RCC for the PSAP services.

In most cases, if a town that is already dispatched by another center chooses not to go with the Knox center, it will cost them more than if they are fully serviced by Knox.

“That doesn’t make any sense to me at all,” Watmough said.

Currently, the town of Thomaston dispatches for its own police, fire and ambulance and serves St. George, Cushing, Warren and Friendship for fire and ambulance. Friendship officials have informed Thomaston that they will obtain services from Knox beginning Jan. 1.

Last week, St. George officials gave commissioners some indication that they were leaning toward a switch, but had not yet committed. On Thursday, Tim Polky, assistant to the town manager in St. George, said a decision had not yet been made.

Selectman Chairman Nick Gardner of Cushing said Thursday that the board will decide Wednesday whether or not to accept full services from Knox.

“It’s OK to say it’s a tough choice,” Gardner said. “[But] money always talks.”

According to Watmough, Warren is still undecided and is leery of the Knox proposal.

In Camden, selectmen are considering merging their town’s two dispatch centers into one law enforcement operation and having Knox handle fire and ambulance calls, Town Manager Roger Moody said Thursday. The town is waiting for a cost figure from commissioners for that option.

Thomaston voters will decide at a special town meeting Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. at Watts Hall whether to switch to Knox.

Bob Duke, chairman of commissioners, explained Thursday that there will be a separate assessment to each town, whether or not they accept full or partial services from Knox RCC.

If that bill is not paid, he said that the county could pursue payment through a process outlined in Title 30 of Maine law. He also noted that the overall county budget will be reduced in accordance with the amount shifted to a separate budget for communications.

Some towns are balking at the fact that E-911 services will not be available until April, yet they must pay for a service they are not getting.

“We’ve had to ramp up costs to be ready for E-911,” Duke said, noting people have been hired and trained to prepare for the new emergency calling service, which has been delayed for reasons beyond their control.

Duke also pointed out that other counties have had to create a facility, which has brought debt costs.

Another question asked is how can the county take on all towns immediately?

Duke said that personnel have been hired and trained in preparation for serving the county.

If towns choose not to join Knox right away, there could be a buy-in cost later, he said. It will be each town’s option to wait, he said, but they will have to pay both the Knox center assessment and the fee to their current dispatching service.

Pointing to Thomaston’s situation, Duke said that if the town chooses to maintain its own dispatch, the emergency call will go to Knox and will have to be relayed back to Thomaston.

“Is that productive?” he asked. “Is that the best use of tax dollars?”

Duke said that the county has worked hard to put together a system that is fair and efficient. He noted that the overhead costs are minimal and that the majority of the $500,000 budget is for salaries and benefits.

“In good faith, we’ve worked with everybody.”