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02/20/2020 11:00 PM

Professionals Donate Services to Fix Pressing Issues at North Branford Police Facility


Donations of professional services to address pressing repair issues got underway on Feb. 20 at North Branford Police Department; shown here at the work site are vehicles from one of the local businesses contributing to the effort, VP Electric Inc. of North Branford.Pam Johnson/The Sound

To address pressing issues involving needed repairs at North Branford's aging, outmoded police building, some members of the North Branford Police Facility committee, police commission and even a Town Council member are pitching to donate their professional services.

The repairs and upgrades will include electrical work, LED lighting replacements, corrective actions involving exit signage, welding of loose exterior railings, interior patching and other fixes, said Police Commissioner/Police Facility Committee member Victor Pietandrea. The boost is also meant to help to lessen the need to add to the town-wide job request load of the Town's Public Works department.

The contributed work got underway at the police building, located at 260 Forest Road, on Thursday, Feb. 20, said Pietrandea.

On Feb. 18, the Town Council supported the committee's recommendation to hold a public hearing, set for March 17, that will air the committee's recommendation to construct a brand-new, one-story police facility at a new location, 305 Forest Road, for a cost not to exceed $7.5 million (see related story).

At the time the council set the hearing date, it also requested police to add in 2020-21 budget costs for a list of needed current police building fixes, as required the Fire Marshal following a recent inspection. The list was brought to the council's attention by the committee on Feb. 18.

Now, many of those items will be addressed by the donated professional services, said Pietrandrea. Pietrandrea estimated the value of the combined contributed services will total approximately $35,000.

The professional services are being provided by companies including VP Electric Inc., of North Branford, owned by Pietrandrea; Palumbo Trucking of North Branford; owned by police commission/committee member Dave Palumbo; Al Rose Construction LLC of North Branford, owned by committee member Al Rose; and Classic Welding of North Haven, owned by Town Council member Walter Goad.