Tag Archives: Police Building Committee

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 10/8/25

Police Building Committee 10/14/2025 Leave a comment

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

Police Building Committee 08/27/2025 Leave a comment

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

Police Building Committee 06/13/2025 Leave a comment

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

Police Building Committee 05/22/2025 Leave a comment

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

Police Building Committee, Uncategorized 04/10/2025 Leave a comment

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

Police Building Committee 03/24/2025 Leave a comment

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.