Police Station Committee

Police Station Project Review Committee Meeting Minutes Thursday, July 25, 2013-5:00pm, Norwich City Hall, Room 319 Agenda Items/Notes/Discussion Action Items 1. Call to order-Chair Chairman David Eggleston called meeting to order at 5:06 pm. 2. Members Present/Absent-Verification of Quorum Committee Members Present: Chairman David Eggleston, Vice-Chair Karen Neeley, Scott Camassar, Susan Fiegel, Dennis Jenkins, Larry Kendall, William Kenny and Derrell Wilson. Quorum: Yes, 8 members. Committee Members Absent: Andrew Harvey, Robin Lawson, Keith Ripley, Martin Shapiro and Dave Winkler Support Staff Present Sharyn Mish (Recording Secretary). Chairman D. Eggleston indicated that three absences were due to extreme weather conditions. 3. Adoption of Minutes: July 11, 2013 Copies of the minutes from the July 11, 2013 meeting were distributed. Motion to adopt, D. Jenkins, 2 L. Kendall. Motion carried unanimously. nd 4. Open Action Items a) Update of further info coming from Architect Brian Humes: Re: West Haven Police Station Needs Assessment (6/13/13 Meeting)-Resolved in meeting During the meeting, K. Neeley received an email from Brian Humes containing the West Haven document and would forward it in an e-mail to the committee after the meeting. b) Change time on 6/27/11 Meeting Minutes from 6:00pm to 5:00pm (7/11/13 Meeting)- DONE c) Committee to explore the ability to open new minutes/agenda format on the City of Norwich website (7/11/13 Meeting)-Resolved in meeting. The recording secretary will be submitting a smaller PDF format file to be uploaded. d) Put Mission Statement back on Meeting Agenda. DONE e) Update the Space Needs Comparison spreadsheet and distribute update to committee (7/11/13 Meeting)-Resolved in meeting. Chairman D. Eggleston distributed his updated updated comparison to the attendees. f) Review Space Needs Update & Firing Range Info and formulate follow-up questions; pairs with agenda Item #5 (7/11/13 Meeting)-Carried over to a future meeting. The Police Chief or Deputy Chief was not able to attend the meeting. g) Verify with Corporation Council what information can and cannot be copied for distribution to the committee (7/11/13 Meeting)-Carried over: Chairman D. Eggleston was not yet able to verify with Corporation Council. h) Arrange to have easel available at all future meetings. DONE. i) Research existence of additional ideas to modify the current police station site (7/11/13 Meeting)-Carried over to a future meeting.The Police Chief or Deputy Chief was not able to attend the meeting therefore this will be carried over to a later date. j) Invite Marge Blizard (RDA) and Bob Mills (NCDC) to an upcoming meeting to answer community/business/economic trend questions. Resolved in meeting. Page 1 of 4  Police Station Project Review Committee Meeting Minutes 4. Open Action Items (continued) Discussion: K. Neeley reached out to Marge and Bob and confirmed that they will attend the August 8th meeting as a panel to answer community/business economic trend questions for the Norwich area. B. Kenny stated he would like them to attend to hear from the people who purport to understand trends and analysis what they see Norwich looking like 10, 20 and 50 years from now. D. Wilson also added he would like to hear their insights on the impact a police station would have on economic development if built in certain neighborhoods; what then is the potential for economical growth in that area. As well as if we move from the current site what is the potential that economical development could happen there; on a vacated site. K. Neeley indicated that there is another person that the committee might want to bring in; Peter Davis from the Planning Department. The Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) would be an excellent document to read and use as reference to guide the committee in the proposed use of land in the city. This document can be found on the city's website under the Planning Department under documents. B. Kenny states that this is an excellent vision document and in the past it has lacked a means of enforcement and a mechanism to measure the progress. The current iteration of the POCD has both a strategic and implementation piece. D. Wilson asked if we could get Peter Davis to come to a meeting. K. Neeley stated that Peter Davis could be asked to attend a future meeting. She further indicated that in the past year NCDC hired Jason Vincent who previously worked for the consultants who were hired to help The committee will write the POCD; the committee may benefit from speaking to him as well. K. Neeley feels the review the Plan of POCD would be a good overarching reference document for committee members to review. B. Conservation and Kenny said, “it's a critical element of the mosaic that we're trying to construct”. (Action Item Development (POCD). generated) k) Confirm with City Council what type of report they expect in September and if a presentation is required, how much time is allotted (7/11/13 Meeting). Carried over: Chair D. Eggleston has not received an answer from City Counsel but has become proactive and started to develop a Committee Project Plan. 5. On-Going Q&A – Space Needs Assessment and Related documents- Carried over to a future meeting: The Police Chief or Deputy Chief was not able to attend the meeting. 6. Committee Project Plan D. Eggleston distributed a draft of Police Station Committee Plan to Complete Assigned Mission The committee will sheet. He explained that this is just an attempt to define the scope of work for the committee. review the draft of the He would like to give a written report to the City Council on September 3, 2013. This plan is a Police Station guide to help created that report. He reviewed with attendees the content of the plan including Committee Project Plan. the mission of the committee and bulleted items covering a review of previous project information, identifying sites and scope information, ranking and prioritizing existing and other sites, and developing a course of action. There was discussion and the committee was asked to further review the document to generate comments and edits for a discussion at a future meeting. The draft of the Project Plan is an attachment to the minutes. (Action Item generated) Page 2 of 4  Police Station Project Review Committee Meeting Minutes 7. New Business D. Wilson would like to add 1 Thames Plaza and the lot where the Greeneville School was as potential sites. He spoke to Bob Mills and learned that 1 Thames Plaza is going through a legal process and could eventually become City owned. The adjacent parking garage on Market St belongs to Norwich Superior Court, maybe adding onto that building would be a possibility? K. Neeley indicated that to the best of her knowledge, Thames Plaza is in a flood plain but to confirm that we should ask Bob Mills and Marge Blizard at the August 8th meeting. D. Eggleston stated the two sites will be added to the list of potential sites to consider. S. Camassar asked if the site is in a flood plain does that mean we are not going to consider those sites? K. Neeley suggested that question be posed to the architect, Brian Humes, however it’s her understanding that you endeavor to keep a critical facility like a police station in a zone with the least amount of risk from natural disaster. D. Eggleston stated that some of the sites that were in the Site Assessment were in a flood plain and they didn’t want those sites because of it so they will get a lower ranking on our list. D. Wilson wanted to know what ranking would the committee put on it if these buildings have been around for a while and there have been business in and out of these buildings; what’s to say that’s going to change. K. Neeley stated concern for the marketable building behind one that is going to be built up; what effect would the neighborhood have when changing current buildings, and this is where economic development knowledge would come in. There was also discussion of possible future plans where some of the sites may have been discounted because of development in the process that the public may not be aware of. D. Wilson was suggesting these sites from looking at it in perspective of location/how quick the police could respond to an area. K. Neeley also suggested looking at the quality of life, keeping the neighborhoods intact. Going through the Plan of Conservation and Development will help. B. Kenny stated “We should be able to combine form and function. We have the ability to be an interdisciplinary committee”. B. Kenny suggested Public Works and Planning should also be consulted. D. Eggleston reflected, “We should not constrain ourselves to just providing a police station for the police. We are to look at what Norwich needs from multiple angles, for multiple functions and not just consider the architect’s space needs summary. Let’s think about the community as a whole. Things that are related to the police department and the more creative we can be about find ancillary functions that are related to it or consequences intended or otherwise the better we are”. 8. Confirmation of Next Meeting Date Thursday, August 8, 2013, 5-7pm, Room 319, Norwich City Hall 9. Adjournment Motion to adjourn, D. Jenkins, 2nd S. Camassar, motion passed all in favor. Meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM. Page 3 of 4 Attachment Police Station Committee Plan To Complete Assigned Mission Mission • Review previous project information; • Identify sites and scope information, including any potential new sites, suitable for development as a police station to meet the needs and the mission of the police department; • Rank, in order of priority, which sites, (including any potential new sites), meet the needs and the mission of the police department; • Recommend a course of action in a written report to be submitted to the Council by the first meeting of the Council in September, 2013. Review Previous Project Information List Information provided List Information discussed in committee List Information not yet discussed in committee Identify additional information to be provided Compile a list of observations and comments Document conclusions based on previous project information Identify Sites and Scope Information Review of site information Review of space needs assessment Identify additional sites Consult local experts regarding scope of police mission and activities Consider multiple sites Benchmark with other towns and cities (develop list and schedule for visits) Conclusions on sites and scope Ranking and Priorities Develop criteria Rank existing sites Identify and rank other sites Develop a Course of Action Consider benchmarking information Collect information or guidance on funding strategies Get a second opinion on trends and future needs Evaluate a phased approach What to do with the existing station Develop communication strategies for the City Council Write Report Schedule September 3 - Report to City Council and propose completion date