COOPERSTOWN - The Otsego County Board of Representatives voted Wednesday to pay $43,838 a year, plus $15,570 in one-time charges, to patch up the county's microwave system.

The funds will pay for installing seven telephone lines to bypass a malfunctioning part of the system that connects the county office building in Cooperstown to the public safety building in Phoenix Mills. The lines are owned by Verizon.

This microwave system is used to dispatch police, fire and medical emergency services.

Before the board voted to approve this emergency repair to the system, Rep. Michael Swiderski, R-Oneonta, asked how long the county would have to lease the telephone lines.

County board Chairman Carl Higgins, R-Edmeston, said the lease will likely be in effect until the county upgrades the entire microwave system, a multi-million dollar project.

In other business, the board:

• Approved spending an additional $38,700 on the Otsego Manor nursing home project to build an additional parking lot. Higgins said it would be cheaper to build the parking lot now than later. With Rep. Donald Lindberg, R-Worcester, the sole nay vote, the board approved paying Blanding Electric of Vestal $18,700 to install lighting for the parking lot, and Hanna Construction of Barneveld $20,000 for grading and paving a 26-car parking lot.

• With four representatives voting no, approved hiring an employment and training counselor for the Office of Employment and Training, a position whose funding is federally reimbursable. Voting against the proposal were representatives Higgins, Swiderski, Lindberg and James Powers, R-Butternuts.

• With Swiderski voting no, approved hiring an account clerk-typist for the Children With Special Needs Division.