Capital Planning Committee
Meeting Memorandum
April 18, 2002
In attendance were:
* Steve Andrew
Fred Fantini (for John Bilafer)
John FitzMaurice
Charles Foskett, Chairman
Nancy T. Galkowski
* Dave Kale
Anthony Lionetta
Ruth Lewis
Barbara Thornton
Others present:
Richard Maimone, Fire Chief, Mark Morse and William Melia from MMA Consulting.
*Denotes those not in attendance.
1. Minutes of last Meetings: Minutes of the February 14 and March 7 meetings were reviewed and approved with comment. Nancy G. to revise and then post.
2. Symmes & its Debt Service: Charlie announced that the Town has executed on the purchase of the Symmes Property. Charlie explained that there is an outstanding issue relative to its related debt Service that the CPC needs to act on. The previously approved plan did not include the Debt Service for the Symmes purchase. This Debt Service on the Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) is in the amount of $279,000 for the bonding of $9,000,000. As a point of information, Fred F. noted that Bond Counsel required that only $8,000,000 of this bonding be processed as tax exempt (cost of $239,000).
3. Fire Station Study: Chief Maimone and representatives of MMA Consultants made a presentation of the Fire Study and its findings.
Mark Morse, President, MMA Consulting presented the Capital Planning Committee with a final draft of the Fire Study. Mr. Morse explained the major conclusions of the study which were :
· Central fire Station and highland Fire Station were ideally situated for response to all areas of the Town.
· The Park Circle Station should be decommissioned.
· The deployment of fire equipment and personnel should be changed as a consequence of only two stations. No change in the number of personnel is recommended, however the administrative structure should be reorganized.
CPC asked questions ranging from the nature of calls (65% emergency medical and 35% emergency fire) to reasons for the recommendations made.
The Consultant’s findings are that the Town exceeds all manner of standards for response time, whether it has 2 or 3 stations. Consultant noted that the travel time model it developed for the study was structured to be conservative, and still produced projected response times of 4 minutes or less for the entire Town. The study also recommends four-man response teams (instead of three), and the replacement of the old ladder truck and a pumper with a Quint truck. (Replacement of 2 pieces with one). Tony L. questioned the mobility of the Quint in comparison to a pumper (or smaller vehicle) given the need to negotiate traffic and narrow neighborhood roads with tight corners. Staffing levels would stay the same, with existing staff being redeployed to the remaining two stations.
The Chief stated his position that we should continue to have three stations, given that the same portions of the Town would have an increase in response time, if the Park Circle Station were to be closed. CPC members noted that the standards are the standards and that some areas of Town should not be given priority over other portions of Town.
4. CPC Deliberations: The CPC spent time discussing its positions. It was agreed that the CPC should provide some type of communication to the Board of Selectmen on its position. Barbara T. and Tony L. were asked to develop a draft letter for the CPC’s review.
5. Next Meeting: The CPC agreed to meet next Thursday, 4/24/02 at 8:00 A.M. to review the Fire Station letter.
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