Board of Selectmen Minutes

Board of Selectmen                              Present:        Kenneth F. Troup

March 21, 2007                                          Panny Gerken    

                                                                Curtis Plante

                

The Board of Selectmen met at the Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. to attend the Public Safety Building Task Force meeting along with the Advisory Committee.  A space needs assessment has been completed by Brian Humes of Jacunski-Humes.  The assessment provided data needed to define the total square footage and costs for the new Public Safety Center.   The space needs were defined as 18,770 square feet net function space including the existing fire station and 23,875 gross square feet which includes hallways and wall.  Humes distributed a table showing public safety building or police station projects in four other communities:  CityActon, Dennis, placeCityCoventry StateRI, and addressStreetEast Lyme CT.  CityplaceActon’s cost per square foot in 2004 was $180/square foot.  Although neither Humes nor the Task Force would project an overall cost estimate for the project, it was clear to all in attendance that the cost of the new facility is clearly in excess of the current target figure of $4.5 Million.

During the discussion, the Task Force said that the space needs were need-to-have not nice-to-have, but that they realized that further assessment was needed of the needs with a potential phasing of the project to better match future needs and project costs.  Based on recommendations from Advisory Committee and selectmen, it was agreed that the proposal was not ready for the Annual Town Meeting and should instead be targeted for a fall special town meeting.  Several attendees, while agreeing the proposal wasn’t ready, said they preferred that money articles such as this be presented annual town meetings.  

The Task Force will meet again on March 28 to begin the process of prioritizing and phasing the space needs so that a more realistic and achievable cost estimate can be obtained.  .  

APPOINTMENT

At 9:45 p.m. on a motion made by Gerken and seconded by Plante, the Board of Selectmen voted to appoint Officer Christopher Harrington to the Insurance Advisory Committee, term expiration June 30, 2007.  (Troup – yes, Gerken – yes, Plante – yes)

Officer Harrington replaces Yvette Washington who is no longer the Police Union President.

Meeting adjourned.