CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Falmouth Town Manager Julian Suso talks about the issues involved with installing a dispatch center at the Falmouth Fire Department headquarters.
FALMOUTH – After a lengthy debate, Falmouth Town Meeting members said no Monday night to using part of the Gus Canty Community Center for a police, fire and department of public works dispatch center.
The Falmouth Board of Selectmen and Falmouth Town Manager Julian Suso had proposed using $200,000 to convert the stage area at the community center to be used for dispatch. Town Meeting voters last year approved funding for new equipment for the center.
Sandra Cuny, who has headed the Falmouth Recreation Committee for many years, disputed the claims of some that the area in the community center is not used.
“It’s a recreational community building. I’m just very happy it didn’t pass. I think everyone wants a consolidated dispatch center in the town, but just not there. This is our recreational community building,” she said.
The article was soundly defeated just before Town Meeting members went on break. But when they returned, Town Meeting member Brent Putnam asked for a reconsideration of the article with an amendment changing the cost and the location of the dispatch center. His amendment changed the amount of money to $75,000 and he changed the location of the dispatch center to the Falmouth Fire Department headquarters.
When Town Meeting members voted on the reconsidered article, Town Moderator David Vieira determined the voice vote was too close to call. In a standing vote, the reconsidered article to put the dispatch center at the fire headquarters at a cost of $75,000 was passed by a vote of 135 in favor to 44 opposed.
As the last business of the night, Town Meeting members approved a Proposition 2 1/2 override debt exclusion to spend $3.9 million to repair the windows at the Lawrence School, which serves as the town’s junior high school.
The project will cover the replacement of approximately 400 windows, skylights and doors. The majority of the windows were installed in 1985 but some were part of the original construction of the building in 1951.
Falmouth Finance Committee Vice Chairman Nicholas Lowell said the windows need to be replaced for reasons of safety, maintenance and energy efficiency. The school is not air-conditioned and so the windows need to be opened in warmer months. But they cannot be opened without assistance from maintenance staff and without being propped up, a situation that could result in an injury if the window closes abruptly.
There are also leaks in the sky lights that are causing water damage.
New windows will also result in more energy efficiency, Lowell said.
Lowell said the Massachusetts School Building Authority is expected to reimburse the town for about 35 percent of the cost of the project. The remaining $2.5 million will be bonded for 15 years.
If the Proposition 2 1/2 passes at the town election, Lowell said it would cost the owner of a $400,000 property $10 in the first year and lesser amounts each year thereafter for 15 years.
Moderator David Vieira determined the article passed by the necessary two-thirds majority in a voice vote that came just after 11 p.m. last night.
That question now will go to the voters at large at the annual election on Tuesday, May 19.
Town Meeting continued Tuesday and wrapped up Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium in the Lawrence School. After Monday night’s meeting, there were six articles remaining on the Special Town Meeting warrant and 13 articles remaining on the Annual Town Meeting warrant.
By LAURA M. RECKFORD, CapeCod.com News Editor
