News

By Steve Plunkett

    Manalapan officials are continuing to work with Ocean Ridge to fine-tune their neighbor’s proposal to take over police dispatching and also have asked the Sheriff’s Office for a quote.
    Town Manager Linda Stumpf told commissioners that Police Chief Clay Walker has met four times with Ocean Ridge Chief Chris Yannuzzi and that she also has asked sheriff’s officials to develop a price.
She said she expects to have dollar amounts to report in December.
    In June, the town issued a request for proposals to take over Manalapan’s police dispatch service, which has four full-time and four part-time dispatchers and costs taxpayers $367,700 a year.
    Only Ocean Ridge filed a bid, for $450,000 the first year, followed by $257,500 the next and $265,255 the third year.
The three-year total would have been a net gain of $130,375 but the first-year amount was $82,300 more than Manalapan currently spends.
    “This is a bit of a sticker shock,” Vice Mayor Robert Evans said at the time, explaining that he had expected something closer to the $57,000 South Palm Beach pays Lantana for dispatch service.
    Commissioners told Stumpf and Walker to work with Ocean Ridge to refine the proposal.
    Atlantis, Greenacres and Lantana also picked up copies of the RFP, but did not bid.