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The citizens of East Lyme have heard and read many thoughts and opinions concerning efforts to provide our Police Department, Dispatch, Fire Marshal and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) a professional and efficient co-located work space. Some of these thoughts and opinions have been more destructive than constructive. The official task of the East Lyme Public Safety Building Vision Committee is to select an architectural firm and work with that firm to design the needed work space within the $5M budget the tax payers approved. The Vision Committee has been collaboratively working to accomplish this goal and plans to continue to do so. All opinions, concerns and recommendations are openly shared and considered. There will be no mismanagement of your tax dollars.
The selected architectural firm, Silver/Petrucelli, is now creating its concept design, the first phase of its work. A concept and cost estimate has recently been received that is within reach of the budget and most importantly the concept provides functional and efficient work space for the above Town services. The next step is for the Vision Committee is to approve the concept design following review of must have, need to have and nice to have items. Recommendations on such items as equipment replacement and roof repairs/replacement will be carefully considered and decided upon by the Vision Committee in the best interests of the Town and Town residents.
It is early in the process and at this time I am confident that the Vision Committee will accomplish our assigned task. The Vision Committee is not a political enterprise, it is a cross section of elected officials, Town Staff, Police Commission members and citizens at large. All East Lyme citizens are invited to attend our meetings and participate in the process. We live in a great town and it would benefit us all to let the process work in our public meetings and not for political gain.
The Vision Committee will continue to do what it has been charged to do, and together with the designer, it will make sound decisions going forward. The Vision Committee is committed to providing East Lyme with a professional facility for those who protect and serve us and a facility that the residents of East Lyme will also utilize and be proud of. Let’s not allow political ambition to negatively impede a solid solution to a problem going back over 20 years of providing appropriate work space for our public safety employees. This has always been the goal of the Board of Selectmen, including our First Selectman Mark Nickerson. With collaborative and constructive input from all we will be successful.
Paul T. Dagle
East Lyme Board of Selectmen
Chairman East Lyme Public Safety Building Vision Committee