Category Archives: Police Building Committee

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 10/8/25

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Police Station Building Committee Minutes

October 8, 2025

Peggy Pschirrer called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. in the office of the Selectboard.  Present were Trevor MacLachlan, Andrew Dey and Chief Justin Sanctuary who join the group at 7:00 p.m.   Robin Sanctuary was present as a guest. Absent were David Adams, Jay Punt, Cheri Watson and Steve Dalessio.

Ms. Sanctuary presented plans for a potential fundraiser for the police Building Committee. Rod Bourchard and his wife Cindy have been working with Ms. Sanctuary.  She has received permission from The Savings Bank of Walpole and the widow of Howard Hiill to copy a painting named “Westminster Street” painted by Mr. Hill in 1992, to be raffled by the committee to start a fund for the future police station.  The painting has been copied on canvas and framed.  Raffle Tickets would sell for $10.00 per ticket or 3 tickets for $25.00.  The drawing for the painting would be held in mid-December.

Ms. Sanctuary also has smaller prints on canvas which could sell for $250.00.  She also has a copy of the painting Mr. Hill did of Walpole Town Hall which she can sell for $130.00 if on canvas or $40.00 if on paper.  

The Committee present approved Ms. Sanctuary’s proposal and agreed to help promote this raffle.

The Raffle will be announced in the Clarion and the painting displayed in several locations.

Donations to the Town of Walpole for the new police station are tax deductible. 

The Committee agreed to hold the RFPs for architects to produce construction drawings until the beginning of 2026.  The Committee also discussed the need for an Owner’s representative and a Construction Manager.

It is important that we hold another public meeting to highlight the fact that the new building is a category 4 building, a life safety building which has higher standards.  Unlike a personal house, this building has requirements demands safety features particular to police buildings. Evidence rooms must be secure. Holding rooms are soundproof.  There must be safe air handlers and bullet proof windows and doors.

The Training room will be available for meetings related to crime prevention, or community endangerment such as home security, neighborhood watch groups, crimes against the elderly, fraud detection or reports on local incidents.  

The next meeting of the Police Building Committee will be November 6, 2025, at 6:30 in the Selectboard office.

Police Station Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 8/18/25

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POLICE STATION BUILDING COMMITTEE MINUTES

August 18, 2025

Steve Dalessio called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm in the Selectboard office. Present were Jay Punt, Trevor MacLachan, Cheri Watson, Dave Adams, Zoom and Peggy Pschirrer.  Absent were Chief Justin Sanctuary and Andrew Dey.

Mr. Dalessio reviewed the timeline for the Police Building Project.  An RFP for construction drawings will be completed by September 15, 2025, with bids expected by November 27, 2025. Funds of $475,000 must be raised to pay for drawings and initiate Phase I for preconstruction drawings. Both Mr. MacLachlan and Mr. Dalessio believe this timeline to be realistic.  

Mr. Adams asked where the funds would be held once they were raised.  Any funds raised would probably be held in the Town PDIP account. 

The Committee discussed how we want to raise money.  We won’t know until March 2026 whether our grant application for federal funding will be granted. Ms. Pschirrer offered to draft a fund-raising letter and Ms. Watson also agreed to help with letter writing.  Gifts to the Town of Walpole are tax deductible.  We should have a QR code with links to the bank.

A Public Information Meeting will be held September 15, 2025, in Town Hall to discuss the changes to the original drawings for the Police Station which have reduced the cost to approximately 5 million dollars. Mr. Petrovick, the architect of those schematic drawings, will be asked to attend the meeting. A notice will be posted in the September CLARION.

The Committee agreed that a 4’ x 8’ sign will be ordered to be placed on the Police Property on Upper Walpole Road. The Committee also agreed they will follow the Construction Manager model in the next phases of construction. Mr. Dalessio asked each member of the committee to consider replacing him as Chair. He will remain a member of the committee, but his other responsibilities demand he relinquish being Chair.

The next meeting of the Committee will be September 4, at 6:30 pm in the Selectboard office to prepare for the public meeting.

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 6/9/25

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POLICE BUILDING COMMITTEE

Minutes, June 9, 2025

Steve Dalesio called the meeting to order in the Offices of the Selectboard at 6:30 pm, June 9, 2025. Present in person were Trevor MacLaclan, Jay Punt, Peggy Pschirrer and on Zoom, Dave Adams and Cheri Watson.  Absent were Chief Justin Sanctuary who is on vacation and Andrew Dey.

The Committee agreed the building design work is complete and the next step is to develop an RFP for constructions drawings.  Several architectural firms were suggested: Banwell Architects, Black River, Dan Scully and Chris Adams.  There is a competitive bid environment.

We need to consider when we wish to break ground by establishing a timeline.  We will also need to be alert to the next Town budget cycle.

Nancy Merrill has been asked to ask Northern Borders if we are eligible for the grant which is awarded to buildings erected from wood.  We will also ask that she look for funding from the Department of Agriculture which might be applicable to police stations.

The Committee discussed our need to form a fund-raising committee with local volunteers. We could agree to establish a method for naming individual rooms within the new building – e.g.- the Training room, individual offices, the evidence room etc.

We will have a table at Old Home Days on the Common, June 28, with our building design. Mr. Dalessio offered his pop-up tent and agreed to have posters made of our floor plan.  Ms. Watson and Mr. MacLaclan both offered to staff the table for short periods of time.  We will expect a Police Officer will also be available to answer questions about the new building. It was suggested we have items to give to children such as badges or other paraphernalia.

The Highway Department does not have the equipment to brush hog the piece of property we own on Upper Walpole Road. Mr. Dalessio will contact a local company to do the work.

 Ms. Watson reported she had been contacted by a Cheshire County Commissioner.  We also discussed the importance of another public meeting.

 The meeting adjourned at 7: 20 pm.  The next meeting will be June 23 at 6:30 pm.

Peggy Pschirrer

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 5/12/25

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POLICE BUILDING COMMITTEE

Minutes, May 12, 2025

Peggy Pschirrer called the meeting to order in the office of the Selectboard. Present were Trevor MacLachlan, Andrew Dey, Jay Punt and on Zoom, Cheri Watson.  Chief Justin Sanctuary, Dave Adams and Steve Dalessio were absent.

Andew Dey moved that the minutes of April 21, 2025, be approved. The motion was seconded by Trevor MacLachlan and so voted.

Mr. Dalessio had emailed an agenda to everyone prior to the meeting.

The first item was to discuss the latest rendering provided by Michal Petrovick. The door which Chief Sanctuary had requested at the last meeting is shown as exiting out the back of the building across from the Records Room. This will provide privacy for anyone leaving the building. The broad front will be a good space for the Police Logo.

The Committee discussed how to maintain the property we now own on Upper Walpole Road. This is now Town property. Is it possible that the Highway Department could brush hog the site at least twice a year?  If this is not feasible, then the group agreed we should hire a local landscaping company to brush hog twice a year.

The Police Building Committee will have a booth or table at Old Home Days, Saturday, June 28.  Andrew Dey, Trevor MacLachlan and Cheri Watson each may be able to volunteer at the table for a short period of time.  We may need a pop-up tent for shade or rain cover.

The Committee spent some time discussing fund raising. They agreed we need a timeline; to consider the stages of fund raising; naming opportunities for the new building; the formation of a fund-raising committee made up of local citizens; and to seek local input.  We will ask Nancy Merrill who has already filed a Congressional Grant application with Senator Sheehan’s office, to explore the possibilities of a Northern Borders Grant for buildings of all wood.

The Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for June 9, 2025, at 6:30 in the office of the Selectboard.

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 4/1/25

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POLICE STATION BUILDING COMMITTEE

Minutes, April 1, 2025

Steve Dalessio called the meeting of the Police Building Committee to order at 6:30 pm.  Present were Jay Punt, Trevor MacLachlan, Chief Justin Sanctuary, Peggy Pschirrer and present by zoom were Cheri Watson, Dave Adams and Architect Michael Petrovick. Andrew Dey was absent.

Jay Punt moved the minutes of March 3, 2025, be approved; the motion was seconded by Cheri Watson and unanimously approved by the committee.

The purpose of the meeting was to examine and discuss the revised drawing of the proposed police station. Mr. Dalessio had suggested changes to the proposed plans for the new police station. Mr. Petrovick made the suggested changes to the draft which were distributed to the committee.

Mr. Dalessio explained why the Warrant Article which asked voters to approve a plan for the new station was dropped from the Town meeting agenda. Public meetings had confirmed the voters support for a new station but asked for a smaller, more affordable station.

Mr. Petrovick was asked to bring out the front of the sally port to make it even with the front of the building on this latest version of the station. Mr. Petrovick responded that getting things proportionate may raise the costs of the building and would change the roof line.

Mr. MacLachlan asked if we could get rid of the stairs and have only a pull down.  The answer was yes, the stairs could be removed easily but we will need access to the mechanicals which will be above.

Mr. MacLachlan will do a cost analysis after the changes suggested at this meeting.

Mr. Petrovick stated the changes have removed about 2,000 square feet from the earlier plan. We are now about 5,700 square feet, which drops the cost to about 4.5 million dollars.

Mr. Dalessio suggested that the northwest corner be squared off so that the electrical systems could be out of the secured area. This will allow a bigger evidence room, which will be useful. The Training room has been reduced in size. It was agreed to leave the window placements as designed.

 Mr. Petrovick will make the recommended changes and return them as soon as possible for the committee to review.

Mr. MacLachlan commented that we will need a fenced area, a covered compound area and probably a chain link fence around the impound area. It will be important that there is an ability to maneuver a tow truck.

The impound area will need to meet DES requirements for drains. The sally port will need an oil separator.

There will be landscaping around the building. Ms. Watson recommended that we use some boulders in front of the building which can double as protection and landscaping.  Perhaps we can work with the Hooper Institute on appropriate gardens.

The non-impound yard needs to be four cars wide and four cars deep with an alley and double gates.

Chief Sanctuary said the building will have room for an office for the State police or another employee.

Mr. Dalessio reported we have a contract with Nancy Merril as grant writer and she has filed our first grant for congressional funding.

The group also agreed they need to have a conversation with both Ted Benson of Bensonwood and with Mr. Franks who has offered some ideas for building.

The next meeting will be Monday, April 21, 2025, in the Selectboard office at 6:30 pm.

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 3/3/25

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POLICE BUILDING COMMITTEE

Minutes, March 3, 2025

Steve Dalessio opened the meeting in the Selectboard Office at 6:30 pm. Present were Jay Punt, Andrew Dey, Trevor MacLachlan, Cheri Watson (on zoom), Peggy Pschirrer and Chief Justin Sanctuary. Dave Adams was absent.

The Committee reviewed the results of our recent public meeting. Everyone present agreed we need a new police station, but all were concerned about cost.

Are we building just a building or a police station?  Mr. MacLachlan emphasized we must be concerned about life safety standards. We must follow the International Building Code – a federal classification for new construction which represents a higher standard of codes. The code is updated regularly.

The public questions what are the implications for each taxpayer if we secure bonds to pay for this structure?  New Hampshire Bond costs for 10- year and 20-year costs were distributed to the committee.

We have hired Nancy Merrill as a grant writer for this project.  She is a former Economic Development Director for the City of Claremont where she wrote many successful grants.

Returning to the discussion of the current design of the Police Station, it was agreed we need to reduce the square footage. From 8,200 to less than 7,000. The windows and doors must still be ballistic.  We need cover for outdoor parking.  Mr. Dalessio presented a design in which he had moved the offices and altered the size of the training room to half its former size.  The committee approved the alterations which reduced the square footage without compromising the most important needs and safety of a new station.

Mr. Dalessio will get in touch with our Architect, Michael Petrovick to discuss the alterations so we can have a new design.

The Warrant Article which was to appear at Town Meeting asking the voters to approve our going forward with a new station has been removed from the agenda. There will be a Warrant Article which will ask the voters to approve a $55,000 CRF for the Police Department which will pay for the grant writer and other expenses associated with the design.  We expect to purchase the property site for the new station before Town Meeting.

 Our next meeting will be March 24, 2025, at 6:30 pm in the office of the Selectboard.

Police Building Committee Minutes – 12/17/24

Police Building Committee 12/27/2024 Leave a comment

POLICE BUILDING COMMITTEE MINUTES

December 17, 2024

Steve Dalessio opened the meeting at approximately 6:31 pm in the Office of the Selectboard. 

Present were Dave Adams, Chief Justin Sanctuary, Peggy Pschirrer and by Zoom, Cheri Watson and Rod Bouchard.   Absent were Jay Punt, Trevor MacLachlan, and Andrew Dey.  

Ms. Pschirrer reported that Jim Clifford of Ball Park Realty will send the Committee as well as the Town Attorney a Purchase and Sale Agreement this week.  The Planning Board has approved the subdivision of the land owned by Dunkin Donuts and the issue of driveway cuts has been resolved.  The Police Station will have one driveway which will split into two when inside the property line – one way will lead to public parking, the other to private impound areas.

Ms. Pschirrer has written a grant writer in Westmoreland but has not had a reply.  (The day after the meeting Ms. Pschirrer spoke with Lauren Bressett and will have another conversation after the New Year.)

The group agreed to ask Michael Petrovick for new drawings that can be posted on the Town’s website.  Ms. Watson reported that members of the Walpole community do not know what the building looks like.  The drawings of the new building have been part of a public meeting, but Chief Sanctuary will see that these drawings are posted on the Town website.  In addition, it was agreed that Michael Petrovick will be asked to create some posters of the new building which can be displayed in the Town Hall.

Chief Sanctuary asked if we could put a Warrant on the Town Meeting agenda asking voters to approve the new police station to be built when the Town has raised four million dollars and had approval or a 3.5-million-dollar bond.  There is precedent in Town Meetings to approve capital expenditures dependent upon fund raising.   

The committee also discussed fund raising within the community and offering naming opportunities for individual rooms in the new station. 

The Police Department has not had a Capitol Reserve Fund, so the discussion led to a proposal that a warrant article to create a CRF for the Police Department be put on Town Meeting agenda for $100,000 dollars.

The Police Department’s Annual Report will include pictures of the site and building.  

The next meeting will be January 13, 2025, in the Selectboard Office.

The meeting adjourned about 7:35 pm.

Public Information Meeting Minutes – 9/19/24

Police Building Committee, School Withdrawal Committee 09/30/2024 Leave a comment

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire Public Information Meeting

School Withdrawal Study and Police Station Study

September 19, 2024

Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Chair; Steven Dalessio and Carolyn Vose

Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

Total Attendance: 62 People

Cheryl Mayberry, Selectboard Chair, opened the meeting at 5:32 PM. She introduced the
Selectboard and reminded the public that questions should come from Walpole residents only,
but all are welcome to listen.

Police Station Study Committee – Steven Dalessio

Mr. Dalessio introduced the members of Police Building Committee who are Dave Adams, Rod Bouchard, Steve Dalessio – Selectboard member and Committee Chair, Andrew Dey, Trevor MacLachlan, Peggy Pschirrer, Jay Punt, Justin Sanctuary – Police Chief, and Cheri Watson. A new building is being considered because the current building has several deficiencies including that the building is not strong enough (it was breached when a car backed into it), the drug hood is in kitchen where the officers eat lunch, there is no decontamination area if officers are exposed to drugs or bio-hazards, it is too crowded so space must be shared by multiple officers and for multiple purposes (e.g. lockers are in the bathroom), it is not efficient or safe, there is no private interview room, and the auto storage in the sally port is inadequate and exhaust fumes leak into the building. Last year a drug addict destroyed the holding cell. Because of this incident, people taken into custody must be handcuffed to a bar. That is not an appropriate detention method. Although we tend to think of Walpole as a sleepy little town, there are typically 250-350 calls per month. The count has been as high as 500 calls in a month. The Police Department consists of the Chief, an administrator, (5) Full-time officers, (1) part-time officer, and (1) part-time clerk.

The Committee has so far determined that the current station is not adequate now or for the future, visited five facilities in this area, identified space requirements (8,500 square feet), selected a potential site which was approved at the 2024 Town Meeting (which is 2.6 acres and will have a drive to Upper Walpole Road), hired Michael Petrovick Architect for the schematic phase (completed 9/24), and discussed the need for community input.

The next steps include information meetings for the public and with smaller community groups, complete purchase of the land in 2024, develop a cost model in September 2024, determine how funds are to be raised, and create a realistic timeline for completion.

The Committee has prepared a rough magnitude of cost and schedule. The cost is estimated to be $7M – $7.25M for the land and construction. Additionally, the Town needs to raise 50% through grants and donations, needs to determine the size and timing of a bond for the balance, and the target date for completion is in 2026 or 2027 depending on funding. A potential grant writer has been identified and which grants to apply for. Contractors are currently hard to get, which may be an issue during construction.

Tom Aldrich would like the schematic drawings taken to MacMillian so see what they think of the plan. He would also like the meeting to discuss only the School Withdrawal Study.

John Peska pointed out that this is a big project for our small town. It is critical it is done right.

Tom Beaudry asked if the training/common room might be removed to cut costs. Mr. Sanctuary pointed out that officer training is critical, but the space can be shared with the community when not needed by the Police Department. They also hope to share training with surrounding towns. A square space with lower security, like the training room, is relatively low cost – most of the cost will be in the secure areas of the building.

School Withdrawal Study Committee – Carolyn Vose

Ms. Vose was the Selectboard Liaison to the School Withdrawal Study Committee and introduced the study. Warrant Article 11 was created to gauge voter interest after a group of concerned citizens met with the Selectboard. The Selectboard has no position on this issue. Article 11 passed with a majority vote. Following the approval, a Walpole School PreK to 8th Grade Withdrawal Study Committee was created and charged with considering options for Walpole students’ education in this age range. The Committee is made up of volunteers with varied backgrounds and interests. They focused on different areas of potential impact on the students’ education as well as school funding. Over roughly four months of weekly meetings, conversations included the feasibility of working within the current structure as well as creating an alternative structure.

It is critical to understand an SAU (School Administrative Unit) versus a School District. An SAU includes a superintendent and business office. It is responsible for managing the education system to comply with regulations including special education in their school districts. A School District manages the education of the children through a School Board and creates budgets, contracts, hires, manages bussing and building maintenance to provide education services. An SAU may contain one or multiple School Districts. A School District may be made up of one or multiple towns.

The Committee considered related RSA’s, laws in NH are called Revised Statutes Annotated, available related financial data and statistics for Fall Mountain Regional School District (FMRSD) and the State of New Hampshire, the structure of other multi-town districts in New Hampshire, and discussions with knowledgeable individuals in FMRSD and in other local school districts.

This Study Committee recommends the Selectboard issue a warrant article to vote on whether to form an official study committee to pursue withdrawal from FMRSD. This would be one of several steps, each voted on by the citizens, before any change to the current structure.

Tom Aldrich suggested that a better meeting time would be 7:00 PM. Charlestown went through this process, but in the end, the other towns voted against it. Why would it be different for Walpole? Mr. Dalessio said he does not know why it was voted down. Alissa Bascom from Charlestown and the FMRSD School Board said she has no conjecture on why people voted against it. Mr. Aldrich said he votes for his wallet. He thinks others do the same, and he thinks it will be hard to convince people to vote for it.

Steve Varone pointed out that there has been a rule change since the vote on Charlestown withdrawal. At that point, it was a simple majority vote. As of July 2023, it now requires a 60% vote in the withdrawing town plus a 40% vote in the whole School District.

Diana Watson Petrie reminded everyone that so far there has been no change in the school structure. The Committee was looking to see if it makes sense to have a warrant article to see if there is another better way to educate our students.

Another resident pointed out that so much information is missing at this time that it is impossible to decide. Mr. Varone said the Committee compared per student costs in FMRSD and nearby towns. Most were less expensive than FMRSD’s current rate. In general, cooperative education does not save money. He thinks a better education for our students is the goal, not saving money.

Tom Beaudry asked if we could get comparison costs. A committee member said the Committee did not present cost data because everything will change so much before a new structure can take effect.

Mrs. Watson Petrie said it was frustrating for the Committee not to be able to answer all the questions, but they were charged with determining what it might look like if Walpole were alone.

Becky Sethi said that enrollment is related to expenses and that is a real issue. If you are required to have one teacher per ten students, the cost per student is much higher if there are eleven students than if there are nineteen in the classroom.

Mr. Dalessio pointed out that if there is a 2025 Warrant Article and it passes, state statue directs the School Board to form a Withdrawal Committee of Selectboard and School Board members from all five towns to work with the FMRSD Business Administrator to answer all the questions in a written report to the Department of Education in 180 days. It is a big project and hard work.

One citizen said that Walpole is not permitted to make improvements to our schools because parity among the towns is required.

Karen Berry pointed out that we will not know any of the answers to the questions being asked unless we vote to form a study committee.

Stan Hutchings reiterated that the next study committee will answer all the detailed questions and money issues. If we become independent, then we will have complete control over the education of Walpole students.

Tina Tidd asked if there will be a cost to Walpole if there is a study committee. Mr. Dalessio said it is not required, but it is recommended that the Town considering withdrawal hire an attorney.

Tom Aldrich asked if there was any study of drugs, violence, LGBTQIA+, or other issues in the high schools we might consider sending Walpole students to. Ms. Vose said high school questions will be part of the next study committee. This Committee was asked to consider only Pre-K through 8th grade.

There was a reminder that the Town voted to form this Withdrawal Study Committee, and they will vote again if we proceed. Mr. Varone also reminded everyone there is no right or wrong way to educate our students. It is about what works for each town.

Mrs. Sethi said that when Fall Mountain Regional School District (FMRSD) was formed, it promised greater opportunities for all the students. Now it offers fewer opportunities. Maybe it is time for each town to look at what is best for their students.

Another resident said we need to put our students first and we should vote on whether to study withdrawal from FMRSD.

Respectfully submitted,
Sue Bauer, Selectboard Recording Secretary

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the
September 26, 2024 Selectboard meeting.)

Police Building Committee Minutes – 3/5/24

Police Building Committee 03/22/2024 1 Comment

Steve Dalessio called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm.  Present in addition to Mr. Dalessio were Rod Bouchard, Jay Punt, Andrew Dey, Trevor MacLachlan, Chief Justin Sanctuary and Michael Petrovick, Architect. Cheri Watson and Dave Adams were on Zoom.

Mr. Petrovick met with Officer Josh Healey and Janet Clough for a tour of the current Police Station on February 29, 2024.  After that visit and reviewing a wish list of Chief Sanctuary’s, Mr. Petrovick estimated the square footage of a new building with 7,600-7,800 Square feet and put it into what he described as a flawed diagram. Clearly, the final product may be a different square footage.

The Committee agreed that it might be better to work with a Police officer and the Administrator than with the whole committee. Chief Sanctuary and Mr. Petrovick will meet before the next committee meeting.

The Committee asked if we really need this much space. What will the building look like on the outside? We should use a design that will be cost saving. The cost of furniture fixtures and equipment will be calculated as part of the cost.

The lot of 2.6 acres proposed for the new station is adequate. Mr. Petrovick has spoken with Jim Clifford who represents Ball Park Realty, LLC. There will be enough land for a significant number of parking spaces.

The question of the future of the old station was raised.  The Village of North Walpole has expressed an interest in the building. The current Police Station will need remediation before it can be sold.

Mr. Dalessio raised the issue of future yearly costs to maintain the new building. The new building will have town water and sewer, a wood frame and the roof will be built so that it may in the future have a solar installation. Heat and cooling will be by heat pumps. The building will also have a generator.  

The Committee will look for grants through the USDA, Northern borders and through our NH representatives in Congress.  

The next meeting of the Committee will be March 19, 2024, at 6:30 in the Selectboard Office.  Zoom will be an option.