AUGUSTA - The Augusta City Council meets Monday to discuss whether the city should keep its own emergency dispatch center or go with the state's Regional Communications Center.

Councilors are also expected to discuss the city potentially leasing the old YMCA building from the developer who owns it in order to keep it standing for another year. Doing so could provide more time to try to find a new use for the historic but well-worn building.

City staff at all levels involved in the issue of providing emergency dispatch services - police, fire and rescue, and finance - recommend the city keep its own, 24-hour dispatch center, even though the relatively new Regional Communications Center is right in Augusta.

The police and fire chiefs say the city's own dispatch center provides better service and protection to public safety workers and citizens. And the director of finance said, based upon projected, fiscal year 2010 budgets, it could be cheaper for the city to keep its own dispatch center than go with the regional Kennebec County Regional Communications Center.

Developer Lon Walters owns the former YMCA building and his contractor currently holds a permit which would allow the brick State Street building to be demolished.

However historic preservations and the city have worked on a proposed agreement with Walters in which the city would lease the building for $1 for a year, Walters would not be charged property taxes on the building, and the city would minimally heat and maintain the structure in hopes of finding a reuse for it.

Monday's council meeting is informational, meaning no formal votes are to be taken. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at Augusta City Center.