DALTON, Mass. — Asbestos abatement in the police station is scheduled for Monday, but more work still needs to be done. 

 

The Select Board was notified of the safety concerns in the police station, located in the Town Hall basement, during its meeting on May 28. 

 

Issues in the station included plumbing, asbestos, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damage to cells. 

 

During the meeting, it became clear that the Town Hall basement is not a viable long-term location for the station, but short-term resolutions need to be implemented to make the space safe for its staff until the town can find a permanent location. 

 

Building and Grounds Superintendent Jeff Burch updated the board on potential short-term resolutions during the Select Board meeting on June 24.

 

He had received quotes from Hill Engineering of $35,000 for the plumbing upgrade and $47,000 for the ventilation system but was still seeking one more quote as the cost was higher than anticipated. 

 

The board approved using up to $82,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funding for the design and engineering of the police station's sanitary plumbing upgrade and ventilation system installation. 

 

During the Monday meeting, Burch said engineering company EDM has submitted a proposal for a new ventilation system for the police station that is about $10,000 less than Hill Engineering's proposal. 

 

EDM's quote was for $37,999, but he said a few things in that were in Hill's proposal were not included, potentially causing their lower price. Burch did not receive a quote from EDM for the plumbing. 

 

Hill Engineering agreed that the cost estimate for the ventilation system was high, but that is because it is unclear what they were dealing with yet, Burch said. 

 

Hill Engineering agreed to provide the town with another proposal, which would be more of a fact-finding type of thing, he said. 

 

It was unclear what type of system the town wanted to invest in, whether a basic fresh air ventilation system or a full heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. 

 

The town wouldn't want to spend that much money on a system and then down the line need to change it, he said. 

 

Board members agreed they wanted to get more detailed cost estimates on the different options before deciding how to proceed.

 

Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson recommended that they send a written request for quotes that included the different costs for each option.  

 

Right now, the town is focusing on the building's ventilation to better understand the scope and cost before considering its plumbing options.

 

The reason for this is the plumbing will be more invasive to the operation of the police station, Burch said in a follow up. 

 

The town is still navigating how it wants to resolve the plumbing issues and is seeking quotes. 

 

During its meeting on June 24, the board also approved the appointment of the five voting members of the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee. 

 

The committee will examine all the options for a new police station or combined public safety facility.

 

Even though the town is currently considering a new location for the station, addressing these issues in the long term would be beneficial to the town hall staff,  Hutcheson said. 

 

It would be useful to have space downstairs for potential expansion, such as adding more meeting rooms or offices.