Tag Archives: Police Building Committee

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.