“I was happy that my colleagues on the Public Safety Committee identified how important this bill is to those communities that a host a prison facility,” said Timilty. “Every town is facing the harsh reality of our economic downturn, but those like Walpole are being unfairly burdened when they have to expend town resources to meet the needs of the Department without compensation.”

Traditionally, the Commonwealth has provided mitigation funding to towns who are host to a correctional facility as a means to compensate for the burden placed on the municipality as they respond to prison-related needs. During last fiscal year’s so-called 9C cuts a $750,000 earmark for the Town of Walpole was stripped from the budget, while more recently a formula driven account that provided nearly $66,000 to Walpole was also eliminated.

“Communities are struggling with police, fire, and teacher layoffs, yet Walpole must address these tough decisions in addition to still providing emergency services to the prison. Walpole has always been a proud and productive partner of the Commonwealth, but are now being punished with this unfunded mandate,” concluded Timilty.

Previous story

Got a Walpole-related blog or site? Send the link here:

Here's Sam Obar's blog,
his radio station
and a link to his live broadcasts at 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Potters Place

Mike Iwanowicz
Walpole columnist

Walpole Town Meeting (Jon Rockwood)

Mike Amaral's blog

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group

The Walpole Public Library's young adult blog

More Walpole links, including 2008 and 2009 MCAS results and commuter rail schedule.

top

Your Board of Selectmen is in the process of collecting and disseminating information relative to the overall facility needs of our community with special emphasis on our Public Safety requirements.

This process will build upon the hard work and fine data previously collected (about three years ago) which revealed both Police and Fire needs as the most critical.
Based on the evidence, we have determined that the Police station, due to a lack of any suitable downtown space for a combined Police/Fire facility, is the first priority
(Fire must be downtown due to Federal/State/Local response time guidelines whereas Police do not.) The police are currently housed in the 124-year-old “OLD TOWN HALL” a site NEVER intended for use as a police station. Our present Fire facility built decades ago for a “call” style fire department is most inadequate.

Each and every member of the Board of Selectman is acutely aware and respectful of the sacrifices made by all during this historic recessionary crisis. We are very sensitive to the demands placed on your families; these difficult times affect us all.

Nonetheless, an unavoidable fact is that our facilities are in decline, despite the fine work to negate the inevitable. Spending good hard-earned money for expensive band-aids with no real return is a true waste.

One effect, related to this strange economy, is the fact that a municipality can build and fund a new facility at a markedly reduced cost to the taxpayer unheard of 5 years ago. Couple this with the fact that the Board shall require no nonsense, highly effective & efficient facility, we are recommending a new police station located on Town owned property at Robbins Road. We are also recommending the start of the first phase (design criteria and planning) for a downtown Fire facility.

Initially there exists sufficient, overwhelming information to lead us to believe that by making a modest investment, through the passage of a debt exclusion override, costing the average home owner approximately $80 the first year and $50 year twenty, Walpole will make a near monumental leap forward in satisfying our police department infrastructure needs for the next fifty (50) years. We will also be making a giant leap forward towards the cost effective and efficient planning of a quick response fire facility  capable of satisfying our needs for many decades.

Over the coming weeks we will be meeting with the neighbors abutting the proposed site, in order to hear their suggestions and concerns such that the facility can be a quintessential good neighbor. For greater citizen participation a separate general forum will follow soon thereafter.

We will be presenting to the community a dialog aimed at resolving the questions that we know are looming in everyone’s mind such as re-use (or alternatives) of the old library, of the old Town hall, additional planning for the Fire facility and the overall VISION for a future Walpole. Your input is of great value.

The requirements of government may slow the process and we ask you to be patient while we address your concerns and factor in your suggestions.

Very Truly Yours
The Walpole Board of Selectmen

Comment here

top