The Lewiston City Council voted 7–0 to transfer $949,000 from 2020–2024 bond funds and a portion of a 2023 fund balance to the Lewiston‑Auburn 9‑1‑1 communications center.

Director Roy briefed the council after the 9‑1‑1 committee reported on Nov. 20 that the project's costs have risen above original expectations. "The costs are going to be a lot more than what we had originally thought," Roy said, and recommended reallocating available bond proceeds and fund balance to avoid delaying the project.

Director Hall, present to answer technical questions, said staff and vendor Allied Cook had been working for months to nail down pricing; initial estimates had been around $2.7 million in total. "We're confident we'll get below that amount," Hall said, while also noting the exact final figure remained under negotiation.

Councilors expressed support for the item, noting urgency because the current 9‑1‑1 operation at Auburn Central Station will be displaced in June 2026. The motion to approve the transfer passed on a 7–0 roll call.

The transfer will allow the joint regional emergency communications project to move forward while staff continues procurement and price negotiations. Council requested regular updates as bids and final project costs are refined.

Next steps: staff will continue vendor negotiations and update the council on final project pricing and schedule.