NORWICH – A motion to refill the Emergency 911 chief dispatcher’s vacancy in the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office dominated the discourse at Monday’s meeting of the county’s board.

Supervisor Jerry Kreiner, R-Plymouth, moved to fill the position, suggested a salary of $37,108 to be funded by the department’s escrow salary account and included in the motion approval for the sheriff to refill any vacancies that may come as a result of a promotion to the position. Town of New Berlin Supervisor Ross Iannello seconded the motion.

Last month, Sheriff Ernest Cutting, himself, requested that the position be refilled, as he said he would do during the planning stages for the county’s 2011 budget. The former chief dispatcher, Matt Beckwith, was appointed director of the county’s emergency management and fire services at the beginning of last year. Cutting’s request has been reviewed within the finance and personnel committees, with no decision made at this point.

Kreiner and Iannello said the chief dispatcher’s role within the department was “vital” and said the sheriff was taking away personnel from other departments in order to fill in.

“I don’t usually support things like this, that add bodies,” said Iannello, who is politically unaffiliated, “but he’s (the Sheriff’s) convinced me that he needs this position.”