Rochester’s Select Board, meeting on Monday night, dissolved the Public Safety Feasibility Study Committee that was examining the town’s goal of improving Police and Fire Department facilities and created a Public Safety Facility Building Committee.
Public Safety Feasibility Study Committee Chairman Arnie Johnson told the Select Board that the feasibility report has been produced, detailing options. Unfortunately, he said, all the options “will cost a lot of money.”
Johnson said that is why he is recommending the Public Safety Feasibility Study Committee be disbanded and a Public Safety Facility Building Committee be appointed. “So we can explore other options,” Johnson said. “Bring the original cost estimates down.” He gave as examples: focusing on the main Fire Station alone and finding an alternative to a traditional “stick” construction.
The Select Board followed his lead and appointed 11 voting members to a new Public Safety Facility Building Committee.
Eight committee members represent town government: Johnson (Planning Board chairman), Fire Chief Scott Weigel, Police Chief Robert Small, Select Board member Adam Murphy, Facilities Manager Andrew Daniel, Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Eldridge, Finance Committee member David Arancio and Town Administrator Glenn Cannon. Select Board member Brad Morse will serve as Murphy’s alternate.
The other three voting members are Rochester residents Brian Porter, Bob Francis and David Sullivan.
In February, the Public Safety Facility Feasibility Study Committee agreed with consultant Ted Galante’s focus for examining whether to combine, replace or rehab the town’s police and fire stations to alleviate cramped quarters.
The committee, with Galante’s assistance, studied the feasibility of renovating and expanding the Police Station at 26 Dexter Lane, building a new Fire Station headquarters at 65 Pine Street or on Mendell Road and further down the timeline, build Fire Department substation on High Street where a quicker emergency response will be needed when a proposed, 60-unit senior housing development is built off Route 28.
While postpandemic building costs have skyrocketed in general, even over the several months since the Feasibility Study was launched, the committee’s estimation of total hard and soft costs for a three-facility project (main Fire Station, east-side substation and Police Station expansion/renovation) has soared from initial ballpark figures. When the report was completed last week, the hard construction cost of a new main Fire Station alone was estimated at $21,000,000. Soft construction costs typically add approximately 30%.
Later in the meeting, the Select Board helped create another new committee after Arancio requested the town create a By-Law Review Committee “to really dig down into a bylaws where they need revising,” he said.
Arancio noted that Town Planner Nancy Durfee had proposed that a similar, less formal bylaw review board be created. She has since withdrawn that plan in favor of seeing the creation of this bylaw committee as proposed Monday night.
The Select Board proceeded to establish a seven-member By-Law Review Committee to include: three ZBA members, two Planning Board members and citizens’ at-large members appointed by the Select Board and nonvoting members from Town Hall staff. Morse said the public should contact Town Hall to volunteer for an at-large seat.
In other action, the Select Board quickly approved a request by Building Commissioner Paul Boucher to take legal action against 0 Walnut Plain Road. Boucher did not comment further as he exited the meeting. On August 8, the Planning Board approved a Certificate of Compliance for a solar project at 0 Walnut Plain Road and Old Middleboro Road after Johnson reported that all disturbed areas appeared to be vegetated and stabilized.
The Select Board approved Small’s request to appoint a new officer. He is Gene Robinson, an Acushnet resident whom Small said brings over a decade of police experience to Rochester, including as an officer in his hometown.
The Select Board approved a request from Weigel to fund new, more digitally adaptable radios for better communications with the Police Department, an expense that will be paid for using ARPA funds. Weigel said he needs a total of 12 radios at $1,800 each. The board voted, allowing an initial expenditure of $25,000.
The board set this year’s Tree Lighting event for December 4.
Cannon announced the Fire Department will hold an Open House at its main station on Thursday, October 12, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm as a way for the public to see what maintenance (or replacement) the facility needs.
The Rochester Select Board set its next meeting for Monday, October 23, at 6:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Select Board
By Michael J. DeCicco