OOB will decide future of police station
Voters in Old Orchard Beach will elect two town councilors and decide the fate of a proposed police station on Nov. 3.
All Old Orchard Beach and Ocean Park residents can cast votes between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Old Orchard Beach High School on E. Emerson Cummings Boulevard.
Former town councilor William Danton is challenging incumbents Shawn O’Neill and Sharri MacDonald for a two-year term.
Voters will be asked if they favor establishing a Charter Commission to revise the existing municipal charter or establish a new charter. There are five candidates running for the six commission seats that will be available if voters create the commission.
Charter Commission candidates are John Bird, William Gombar, Paul Ladakakos, Ronald Regis and Michael Vallante.
Voters will also approve or turn down a $2.5 million bond for a new police station. The proposed project would be located on town-owned property on E. Emerson Cummings Boulevard near the current public safety building.
Police Chief Dana Kelley said the current police station was built in 1975 and is about 3,000 square feet. The building currently houses 19 officers, six dispatchers, an animal control officer, a court officer and an administrative assistant. In the summer the staff includes 50 part-time officers.
Kelley said the station’s cellblock does not meet Department of Corrections standards, a problem that would be alleviated with the construction of a new building. The new building would also allow room to store records on site, lockers for staff and more space for interview and meeting rooms.
The proposed station is roughly 10,000 square feet, Kelley said. The building will be funded using money from the rescue billing fund. The fund currently is used to buy public safety equipment and generates $300,000 to $400,000 yearly, he said.
Kelley said now is a good time to build the station because it can be built at a lower cost because of the struggling economy. He said the project could also stimulate the local economy by providing area contractors with work.
“It’s a need that isn’t going to go away,” he said. “We’re not asking the taxpayers to come up with additional money to fund this.”
All Old Orchard Beach and Ocean Park residents can cast votes between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Old Orchard Beach High School on E. Emerson Cummings Boulevard.
Former town councilor William Danton is challenging incumbents Shawn O’Neill and Sharri MacDonald for a two-year term.
Voters will be asked if they favor establishing a Charter Commission to revise the existing municipal charter or establish a new charter. There are five candidates running for the six commission seats that will be available if voters create the commission.
Charter Commission candidates are John Bird, William Gombar, Paul Ladakakos, Ronald Regis and Michael Vallante.
Voters will also approve or turn down a $2.5 million bond for a new police station. The proposed project would be located on town-owned property on E. Emerson Cummings Boulevard near the current public safety building.
Police Chief Dana Kelley said the current police station was built in 1975 and is about 3,000 square feet. The building currently houses 19 officers, six dispatchers, an animal control officer, a court officer and an administrative assistant. In the summer the staff includes 50 part-time officers.
Kelley said the station’s cellblock does not meet Department of Corrections standards, a problem that would be alleviated with the construction of a new building. The new building would also allow room to store records on site, lockers for staff and more space for interview and meeting rooms.
The proposed station is roughly 10,000 square feet, Kelley said. The building will be funded using money from the rescue billing fund. The fund currently is used to buy public safety equipment and generates $300,000 to $400,000 yearly, he said.
Kelley said now is a good time to build the station because it can be built at a lower cost because of the struggling economy. He said the project could also stimulate the local economy by providing area contractors with work.
“It’s a need that isn’t going to go away,” he said. “We’re not asking the taxpayers to come up with additional money to fund this.”
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