LONGMEADOW – Longmeadow Town Manager Lyn Simmons told the Select Board that its regional dispatch partner, WESTCOMM, is moving toward the “priority dispatch platform.” She said it adds a quality control aspect to its service and, “eventually result in full accreditation for WESTCOMM, making WESTCOMM one of only a few accredited dispatch centers in New England.”

Select Board member Thomas Lachiusa reported that he had called 911 from his cell phone for a fire emergency and was transferred to Enfield before being rerouted to Longmeadow. Simmons replied, “It’s actually not a WESTCOMM issue, it’s a cellular issue. This would have happened with or without WESTCOMM.” She explained that a cellular 911 call “pings” off nearby towers to triangulate the caller’s position and the call is routed to the closest dispatch center to that caller. If the person is near the border of another town, it may route them there.

The company will be doing a public information program to educate our residents on the new system, including why people will be asked for more information during a 911 call. The extra information helps improve the response and the timing of the first responders.

Select Board Clerk Josh Levine noted he had had an experience when he was new in town in which a dispatcher asked him questions that he didn’t know the answers to because he was unsure of his location. He wondered what additional questions WESTCOMM will be asking.

Simmons acknowledged that the questions may seem overwhelming to the caller in an emergency, but said the dispatcher is transcribing the information and sending it to the first responders while they are en route. For example, she said in the case of a choking emergency, the responders will already know what floor of a building the victim is in and what they are believed to be choking on before they arrive at the address.

The board approved a change in the policy governing how the town invests its money. The former policy allowed for up to $5 million to be deposited in any one bank account and allowed to grow up to $8 million from excess bond proceeds. The change raises the balances to $8 million in deposits and up to $11 million including bond proceeds as long as no one bank holds 45 percent of the town’s funds.

Finance Director Jennifer Leydon explained that the policy change is designed to take advantage of interest rates. “Every little bit helps, we’re pretty restricted in where we can put our money,” she said. Leydon praised Town Treasurer Erica Brunell for keeping money in the banks with the highest interest rates.

Brunell said 0.6 percent was the highest interest available right now and called the policy change “crucial” to generating interest income.

Levine asked about the risk of concentrating funds into fewer accounts. Brunell explained that an eye is kept on bank ratings and if one falls out of the high “green” category, the town is required to “take steps to safeguard our monies.” The 45 percent cap is one such safeguard.

The Longmeadow Police Department is reminding residents to lock their doors in the wake of a rash of vehicle break-ins and thefts, both in town and in the surrounding communities. “Chief [John] Stocks noted that residents are becoming uneasy,” Simmons said. He has increased patrol shifts to address the issue.

The contractor hired for the Converse Street sewer improvements did not adhere to work hour restrictions during the week of June 28, Simmons reported. The restrictions are designed to limit traffic interruptions and access to homes and businesses. After repeated warnings, the town contacted the contractor’s performance bond surety company and scheduled a conference to discuss the issue before any work was allowed to continue, she said.

After the public comment period, in which a resident expressed concerns about the possible expansion of an Eversource natural gas pipeline, Select Board Vice Chair Steven Marantz asked Simmons to give an update on the town’s knowledge of the project. She told the board that the company would not meet its stated goal of conducting a public forum in July and submitting its plan by Aug. 15. The new timeline appeared closer to the early fall for submission with an August forum, which Simmons had insisted be in-person. She had received no information from Eversource on the route of the proposed pipeline.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) has requested that the driveway to the rear of the building be named “Warren Cowles Way,” in honor of a DPW worker who was killed at a railroad crossing in 2017. Simmons said that the sign could be designed in-house and the DPW could install it. It would “memorialize his presence” and “emphasize safety,” she said. Lachiusa noted that DPW trucks from around the state came to Cowles’s funeral and the naming would be a “nice way to respond.”

The Special Town Meeting will be conducted on Nov. 2. Town departments and boards have until Sept. 14 to submit warrant articles, while citizen petition articles must be in by Sept. 17. Petitions must receive 100 signatures to be valid.