Capital Investments: Community Listening Sessions

The Town Council will hold four Listening Sessions to collect comments from the public on the need for four major capital investments facing the Town and to provide guidance to the Town Council in setting priorities.  Members of the School Committee and Jones Library Trustees have assisted in development of the information for these sessions and will be present at each session.

The Listening Sessions will be held on the following dates and times:

• Tuesday, December 3^rd at 3:30 p.m. at Bangs Center Large Activity Room
• Tuesday, December 3^rd at 7:00 p.m. at Crocker Farm Elementary School, Cafeteria
• Monday, December 9^th at 3:00 p.m. at Fort River Elementary School, Cafeteria
• Monday, December 9^th at 6:00 p.m. at Wildwood Elementary School, Cafeteria

The Town has a clear need to make significant investments in four major capital projects –elementary school(s) (Fort River Elementary School and Wildwood Elementary School), Department of Public Works facility, Fire/Emergency Medical Services headquarters, and the Jones Library. These investments could happen through new construction, extensive renovation, or addressing only major repairs.

These needs must also be balanced with the ongoing capital needs of the day-to-day operations of the Town, such as paving roads and replacing or adding sidewalks, maintaining existing buildings, and replacing vehicles as needed.

The goal of the Listening Sessions is to provide the Town Council with insights and opinions from the community that will help inform its planning for and funding significant investments in each of the four capital projects.

The Listening Sessions will be facilitated and structured to provide basic information to the public and offer the opportunity for members of the public to participate in small group discussions that will ensure wide, active participation of all involved. The Town website will also have a dedicated place to view the relevant materials and provide comments (coming soon).

The Town Council and staff will be listening, taking notes, and giving careful consideration to all comments. Please join your fellow residents to helping to shape how these four investment decisions are made.