Police chief seeks $5,000 in additions; selectmen delay dispatch console replacement and cut transfer by $50,000

Chief Cobb urged the New London selectmen to add $5,000 to the police budget at the Nov. 1 meeting to cover ongoing software license and travel costs and outlined an alternative schedule for replacing dispatch consoles.

"The ask tonight is to add $5,000 total onto the police budget — $4,000 additional in computer license and fees, and then $1,000 additional in travel and meals in the police budget," Chief Cobb told the board, citing vendor quotes for door access and camera systems and anticipated annual maintenance costs regardless of vendor choice.

The chair presented an updated police budget total of $1,683,085 that incorporated those additions; the board moved, seconded and approved the amount by voice vote.

On capital funding for dispatch equipment, Chief Cobb said the dispatch consoles originally scheduled for replacement in FY27 can be pushed to FY28 and recommended splitting the $100,000 target with $50,000 in FY27 and $50,000 in FY28 to reduce the one-year impact. She also said the Communications Equipment Capital Reserve Fund has not been funded for "the past 2 or 3 years" and that earlier funding levels had been modest when the fund was created in 2015.

Board members questioned the current reserve balance and past funding choices; one member said there was roughly $220,000 in the fund but asked the chief to confirm exact figures. After discussion, the board voted to reduce total transfers into capital reserves by $50,000 so that only $50,000 would go into dispatch this cycle and to have staff adjust the schedule to reflect the phased replacement.

The board asked staff to circulate updated reports and to track the adjusted capital transfer schedule. Chief Cobb said she would provide any needed follow-up figures about the reserve's history and balance.