While the city of Cumberland is conducting a 60-day testing period to determine the feasibility of transferring its dispatching services to the Harlan Police Department, city officials in Lynch voted Thursday to immediately begin their own transfer to Harlan.

Lynch Mayor Tom Vicini said discussions to transfer the city's dispatching services, which are provided through Cumberland, would begin today. Cumberland also dispatches for the city of Benham.

“I totally agree with the council on this, that we should just go ahead and contract with Harlan,” Vicini said after a special-called meeting of the Lynch City Council on Thursday, adding that “Cumberland's situation is too unstable.”

Vicini said the city has not been notified by city leaders in Cumberland of two 30-day testing periods that could result in an official transfer of Cumberland's dispatching services.

“If I had a contract with someone, and I decided to change the way I do business and it affected that person I had a contract with, I would notify them officially,” Vicini said. “I shouldn't find out from the newspaper.”

Vicini said there was also little communication between Cumberland and Lynch when dispatching services for Lynch and Benham were raised at the beginning of the year from $250 a month to $500 a month. At the time, Cumberland Mayor Carl Hatfield said the total expense of the dispatching services was roughly $5,400 a month. With the increases, Lynch and Benham would contribute a combined $1,000 to that amount, he said.

Hatfield has said a possible transfer of Cumberland's dispatching services would save the city at least $30,000 a year. The city is maintaining a record of the volume of calls coming in to the dispatching center at the Cumberland Police Department. From there, the city will transfer its services to the Harlan Police Department for a second round of testing.

The city of Lynch would pay $50 more a month for dispatching services under Harlan, Vicini said.

“But that includes leasing all of the equipment that we need. And the good part of that is even though it costs us a little bit more a month, the contract will require the company that provides the equipment to keep it up to date,” he said.

Vicini said he learned of the $550 estimate earlier this year when he contacted the Harlan Police Department after Cumberland raised its service rates to $500 a month.

Benham Mayor Betty Howard said late Thursday that the city, too, will look further into transferring its dispatching services to Harlan. Howard said the city also considered switching its services to Harlan when it learned of Cumberland's $250 increase.

“I don't know what the expense would be - we haven't gotten that far,” she said, adding that how the city will finance radio equipment isn't clear.

“We're not sure what to do. We had anticipated after this trial period - assumed that the three cities would get together with the city of Harlan to see which way it was going to fall,” she said.

Howard said the three cities should meet to discuss the dispatching issue.

“If we don't hang together, we'll definitely hang apart. Whether we like it or not, we're joined at the hip,” she said.

Hatfield said Lynch and Benham were recently informed by letter of the dispatching tests. Howard said she received a letter after she read about the testing in the Enterprise.

In other action from Thursday's special meeting of the Lynch City Council:

-- Council member Bob Collier announced the city's request for a conference to discuss a proposal of underground mining by Harlan Reclamation Services has been granted from the state's Division of Mine Permits in Frankfort. Council member Anne Carr suggested making maps of the proposed mining available to residents of Lynch.

-- A review of the old ARH clinic in Lynch will be conducted today by council members, who will take pictures and record information of the building's status. The city is currently negotiating a deed with Appalachian Regional Healthcare for use of the clinic, which has been suggested for community purposes.

-- A water line project for the city is complete, Vicini said, with the exception of some “final cleanup by the contractor.” Land that was disturbed during the construction is also awaiting repairs. He said the city is in the process of “getting all the approvals” for the sewer line project.

-- Vicini said lights for the city's walking trail, the Walk of Legends, have been ordered and will be installed shortly. The city is responsible for providing conduit for wiring needed for the lights, of which there will be about 16.

-- Council members held a second reading of an ordinance to change the pay rates and job classifications of city employees. A first reading of a revised flood prevention ordinance was also held. The ordinance, No. 080706, will receive a second reading at the council's next meeting.