By David Brensilver
Published on 10/15/2004
East Lyme-- The Public Safety Design/Site Selection Committee will hold its first official meeting Monday night at the Emergency Operations Center at 171 Boston Post Road.
The committee is charged with locating a parcel of land on which to build a public safety complex, and overseeing the project's design phase.
Its 10 voting members include six residents and four town staff members. In addition, there are half a dozen ex-officio members, including First Selectman Wayne Fraser, Resident State Trooper Sgt. Michael Collins, and ex-officio representation from the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and the Town Building Committee.
Last week, the group met informally at Town Hall where it received advice from Fraser, as well as Selectmen Rob Wilson and Joe Raia. Raia said, "We'd like to see you guys meet as often as you can," and related the committee's charge, with regard to importance, to the work done recently by the Waterfront Development Committee.
Talking about when the committee is expected to come forward with recommendations, Fraser said, "There's no time frame established right now."
Bob Jones, a member of the Waterfront Development Committee, encouraged the public safety group to set a date to complete its report. This helped his group, he said.
Ron Rando, also present last week but not a member of the committee, said to the group, "Don't skimp." He said, "If you're going to build this building, build it right and make sure it's got everything in there that we need. ... Do it right."
Fraser said, "The two buildings we're looking to move out of (police department and the Emergency Operations Center), we're also looking to keep."
Also last week, the Board of Selectmen toured the Millstone Science Center with an eye toward using it as an interim facility.