Freedom – January 7, 2010 – At a public meeting last night, Freedom’s Article 26 Committee recommended that town voters be given a choice between refurbishing the current Town Office building or consolidating its functions with police and fire services on Village Road.
In making its decision, the panel first voted to recommend that safety services – police and fire – be co-located at the current Fire Department property on Village Road rather than on Ossipee Lake Road, as had been proposed last year by the Select Board.
The Committee then voted to recommend that the Select Board give voters two options in regard to the Town Office building. One would be to renovate and expand the structure, and the second option would be to construct additional space at the Village Road site, thereby consolidating all town services at a single location.
The Committee’s recommendations now go to the Select Board. If the Board approves its recommendations they will be formalized as warrant articles for a vote at Town Meeting on March 9.
[Editor’s Note: We will post additional details on the options and estimated costs once they have been finalized and approved by the Select Board. A longer story on last night’s meeting will appear in next week’s Carroll County Independent].
Having a well planned, centrally located, fully function, current to code and perhaps stimulus project funded Police & Fire station would seem wise. Keeping administrative functions in the village seems consistent with sustaining a village.