Public Safety Building Committee
Meeting Minutes
May 2, 2007
7:00 PM Holden Light Department
Present: Chris Lucchesi, Jack Chandler, Mary Ryan, Bob Beck, Karl Makela, Rick Bates, George Sherrill, Hal Lane
Absent: Peter Liddy, Brian Forts
Late: David White, arrived 8:25 PM
Others Present: Dave Ellis, Karin Green, Louise Hugo (Also others who did not sign in.)
7:05 – Meeting called to order
Approved minutes of April 4, 2007. Motion Rick Bates, second Karl Makela. Unanimously approved.
7:08 – Public Comments
Louise Hugo: Grew up in Holden and moved back to town. No interest in paying outrageous taxes and fees. Experience and common sense say it is crazy to change the character of the town. To remove Damon House is sinful. The new Police Department is absolutely necessary but this location is bad (too small, building will be obsolete, doesn’t want a multi-story Police Department). Doing on the cheap is one thing. Consider the consequences. The Police Department at Damon may be cheaper but does not serve well in the long run. The Police Department does not need another obstacle. Hope we can do/plan what is right. The original plan combined building could be modified and phased in. Ideal: take Caswell King Property by eminent domain for people planning to stay here (in town). Don’t want the town to go
to the highest bidder. Any facility should be built right. Hope and pray the PSBC will do it right.
Updates from Chairman:
Some feedback from BOS Presentation
Damon property concerns
Doing a good job - keeping people in the loop
Need to fine tune
1st designs too big
Keep doing the kind of things we’re doing
People will infer things we need to correct; things that are wrong.
Karl Makela: Need to keep the public correctly informed and aware. Newspaper articles may not reflect what the committee actually meant. With Caswell King, there is a big problem with taking. $1.5 million is still a problem, but $1.5 million and $7 million. $8.5 million and leaves nothing for the Fire Department.
Bob Beck: It’s too early to talk about price. Need to develop better design and then look at the cost. Members are answering question for the entire town. We need to develop a plan and present it to the entire town.
Chris Lucchesi: Trying to write a newsletter for the Light bills. Will keep working on it… Rick Bates said Chris should ask for some help.
Won’t be available on May 16, 2007-how to handle. Have, delay: skip
We are leading down a path where we are going to get drawn into the politics of the issues. Need to follow mission statement and ask ourselves if we will move forward with our best recommendations even if not inline with or senior elected officials. We said we wanted their approval, but what if we don’t get their support. We need to decide if we want to go ahead with the proposal.
Hal Lane: BOS shouldn’t be commenting until we are done.
Karl Makela: Don’t put all BOS in same basket as the one who spoke last night.
Mary Ryan: We should do what the committee agrees to, even if it is not unanimous.
Police Facility Design
Chris Lucchesi met with George, Michael McKeon and Peter Brooks. Not as big as Fire Department. Designed around Damon property. Michael to walk us though the design.
Site is small, but works as a two-story solution
Took basement away
Police Chief has not endorsed what we are going to see
This is a work in process. Still looking to reduce space, even by room.
Reviewed design by program area.
Need exit to release prisoner directly outside
Hal Lane: Need to make sure we build for the future. Saving now will cost us more in the future.
Bob Beck: Are there enough interview rooms? Facilities available if other agencies are called in to help (in dispatch)?
Karl Makela: Will there be a raised floor in dispatch? Yes.
Mary Ryan: Would it be a good idea to put some things in the basement?
Impressions: Hal concerned about tightness. No room for expansion. Still likes the area beside the Post Office.
Michael McKeon: Did look at the Police Department at Fire Department site; similar problems. Came up with 18,000 ft.
Review Comments
Bob Beck:
George Sherrill: Dispatch and call back on different levels.
Dave White: Union Office, why? Is it in the contract? We don’t have to build one.
Chris Lucchesi: Are the cells as small as possible? Yes.
Karl Makela: If we consider the Police Department at the Fire Department where does Fire go?
New Business
Chris Lucchessi: How do we move forward from here? See handouts. There was a discussion around the schedule. Discussion on Add/Alternates and change orders.
Discussion on estimates
Chris Lucchesi: Looking for a member to submit a letter to the LandMark on the program to date for the Committee.
Public Comments
Karen Green: Concerned about public buildings with a known shortage of parking which doesn’t even meet the town by-law. Why did we abandon Bateman property? Have we discussed Damon Site with the Historic Commission? Could we put an article on May warrant to buy the Caswell King property?
Louis Hugo: Damon Site is on Historic Register and some other register. This makes a mockery of what people are doing to try and preserve what we are trying to do in town. A lot of traffic is already at the intersection. Could we put the Police Department Damon idea at the Fire Department?
Motion by Karl, second by David White to go into executive session. David White stated that the committee would adjourn the meeting after the executive session.
Voted to do so:
Mary Ryan Yes
Karl Makela Yes
Bob Beck Yes
Rick Bates Yes
Hal Lane Yes
Chris Lucchesi Yes
David White Yes
Executive session minutes were taken separately.
9:25 PM. Executive Session ended and motion made by David White and seconded by Bob Beck to adjourn the regular meeting.
| 
