Ambulance Barn

I have few comments on the Ambulance Barn. First, this never should have gone to referendum. This is a matter of public health and safety and it is more complex than appears. I think Town Council should have been more forceful in its support and should have kept it to a Town Meeting vote. I fear that a referendum will become too much of an emotional vote.

I think volunteers will provide a better service than a paid force at the levels of pay a paid force would likely receive. They clearly do this because they love it. We need to show them some respect if we expect to keep them. The current facility is an embarrassment.

To put the cost into perspective. We are proposing to borrow $3,000,0000. Assuming a 20 year payback at an interest rate of 6.5% that is about $270,000 per year. There are approximately 60 volunteers in the ambulance corps. Assuming that number stays constant over 20 years, that comes out to about $4,500 per volunteer per year.

Could we do it for less? Sure. We could put up a building of inferior construction and then pay more down the road when it has to be replaced or constantly fixed. Why not do it right the first time?

As for that rumor of there being 14 bathrooms in the place, not true. There is a men's room, a lady's room and a toilet by the laundry room.