Swampscott meeting OKs police station design funds

SWAMPSCOTT – Town Meeting voted to borrow $450,000 to fund the design of a new police station despite the objections of the selectmen.The article, which required a two-thirds majority vote, passed by a large margin.A petition forced selectmen to call the special Town Meeting, which was held in the middle of the regular Town Meeting, to determine whether the town would borrow the money for the design of a new police station.The Capital Improvements Committee had a similar article on the annual Town Meeting warrant. But, on April 7, the selectmen voted to remove it from the warrant because they did not want Town Meeting to decide whether the town should borrow the money. At that meeting selectmen said they were being fiscally responsible and now is not the right time to borrow money to design or build a new police station.Residents forced the issue by submitting a petition with approximately 300 signatures to force the selectmen to hold a special Town Meeting.Capital Improvements Committee’s Cynthia Merkle thanked the residents, who submitted the petition calling for a special Town Meeting. The Capital Improvements Committee recommended proceeding with the design process to build a new police station at the town-owned pumping station on Humphrey Street.Merkle outlined the deficits in the current public safety facility, which was built in 1938. She said it is no longer adequate for the needs and more than 300 prisoners a year are detained there and some must be held for several days.”The inadequacy of the police station is not a new conclusion,” she said. “It is one that was reached years ago.” She pointed out an assessment in 1997 concluded the building was not compliant, there were security concerns and “unacceptable working conditions.”Merkle said in 2005, more than $1 million in funds approved for the police station were diverted to purchase the former Temple Israel property.She added the building is “in dire condition,” is not ADA compliant, the basement frequently floods, it has possible lead contamination in the basement and the facility is hazardous to prisoners and officers.The Finance Committee also made a strong recommendation to move forward with the project.Selectman Anthony Scibelli disagreed with borrowing money to fund the design of the station.”You’re talking about $450,000 at a time when every dollar is precious plus interest,” he said. “Keep that in mind? The reality is we have no idea in reality what a new police station will cost.”Scibelli pointed out the town needed mid-year layoffs to balance its budget and he pointed out numerous collective bargaining contracts would need to be negotiated in the next fiscal year, which would have an impact on the budget and an operational override for the schools or town could become necessary.Joe Crimmins, who is on the School Committee, said the school district has a master plan and if funds from the sale of town-owned property are used for the police station it is money that would not be available for the school district to implement its master plan.Town Meeting member Chris Drucas said the police station needed to be replaced when he was a selectman 16 years ago and it needs to be replaced now. He said now is a window of opportunity because construction costs are down and the town would be receiving income from the sale of town-owned properties.Bill Hennessey spoke passionately of the need for a new police station.”We have 40 town employees we send out 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to protect us,” he said. “It’s time we step up to provide our police department with a safe, functional base of operations.”