Committee to seek about $599,000 for new station
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The Public Safety Committee is asking selectmen to recommend that annual town meeting voters approve approximately $599,000 of new borrowing for the public safety building project.

The option would not require a tax increase beyond that which would be covered under the Proposition 2 1/2 limit. The additional money would allow for completion of the fire and police department locker rooms and the detention cells.

"It's a reachable number for the town," said Al Rickheit, a committee member.

Police Chief Larry Barrett and other committee members are concerned that the price of the options will rise over the course of the next 18 months during the construction of the rest of the building and that installing the locker rooms and the detention cell now is a cheaper alternative.

"I think if we wait until December the numbers will go up," said Barrett.

There are other two options to add money to the budget, which will cover the basic building construction. The first could either just add money for items such as furniture, paving and moving the dispatch center.

The most expensive option would include finishing the training room and the masonry on the front of the building as well as the cells and locker rooms.

"I want option three off the table because it can't be built into the (town's operating) budget," Gagnon said.

Perhaps some of the extra work could be completed through fundraising, he said.

Gagnon hesitated to support the option, which includes the

locker rooms and cells, because he was limitations on the town's concerned about the limitations on the town's budget in future years. But he agreed to support the committee's view.

The committee has set aside a small amount of money for more site work.

"We haven't gone through site plan review yet," said Gagnon. "We don't know exactly what they are going to have us do."

Gagnon told the committee the Planning Board could require specific roadside clearing or plantings, or a flashing light at the entrance or other such traffic controls.

The Public Safety Committee will hold an informational meeting on Thursday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in the Senior Center, of the VMS Building. The committee will describe the building, the budget and answer questions from residents.