Ridgefield Public Safety Facilities Committee Prepares For Architects' Review, Expands Community Outreach

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Public Safety Facilities Committee on Feb. 26 finalized plans for next week’s presentation by consulting firm Kaestle Boos Associates while reporting progress on facility review, financial analysis and community engagement related to potential police and fire infrastructure options.

The committee, which is charged with evaluating long-term needs for Ridgefield’s police and fire facilities, emphasized that no decisions have been made about building new structures versus renovating existing ones.

“There has been no directive given to this committee as to anything new has to be built, that anything has to be refurbished,” Chairman Wally Martinez said. “We’ve been given a clean slate.”

Structured Format Planned For KBA Presentation

The committee expects to receive pre-read materials from KBA and ahead of the next meeting. Martinez proposed a structured “go around the table” format to ensure each member has the opportunity to ask questions.

Members said they want the focus to remain forward-looking.

“I only want to hear about the past insofar as it’s relevant to the future,” said committee member Adam Safir, who co-chairs the needs assessment and site evaluation working group.

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Committee members indicated they are particularly interested in understanding prior site evaluations, decision points from earlier proposals, and which town-owned properties were considered.

Public comments also urged the committee to review prior site studies and consider the age of KBA’s previous needs assessment, which dates back seven years.

Needs Assessment: No Mandate For Co-Location

Safir reported that the needs assessment and site evaluation working group has toured the police and fire facilities, reviewed dispatch and operational data, and met extensively with department leadership.

He said neither department is insisting on co-locating police and fire operations in a single facility.

“No one from the police or fire department is banging the table saying, ‘We must have co-location,’” Safir said.

The working group has reviewed service data, including trends in wellness checks and emergency medical calls, as well as changes in the nature of police work. Safir said financial crimes and identity theft cases have increased, potentially affecting future staffing needs.

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Committee members noted that while overall crime rates remain low, the mix of calls for service has shifted, with wellness checks rising significantly since 2018 and emergency medical responses driving increased fire department activity.

“There’s a big difference between crime and calls for service,” Ralph Money, a member of the Board of Police Commisioners, said during discussion.

Public Engagement Expands

Pamela Dunaway, who leads the public engagement subcommittee, reported that sign-ups for committee alerts have nearly doubled week over week, reaching nearly 300 subscribers.

The committee’s first meeting drew 26 views; a recent meeting reached 90 views within a week, she said.

Dunaway said outreach efforts include town newsletters, social media posts and partnerships with local organizations such as the Ridgefield Library. A townwide survey is nearing finalization and will be distributed through the town’s alert system.

Residents must sign up via the town website to receive the survey link, she said.

The survey will include demographic questions — such as residency status, age, and homeownership — to evaluate whether responses are representative of the town’s population.

“It’s either going to be a representative sampling or it’s going to be something that may or may not be directionally correct,” Martinez said. “Either way, it will not be a wasted effort.”

Dunaway also announced plans for an initiative with the working title “Public Safety Snippets” to share informational facts about Ridgefield’s public safety operations through digital channels.

Financial Analysis Underway

The finance working group reported it is consulting with the town’s municipal bond advisor and reviewing construction cost data from comparable projects in nearby communities.

Committee member Steve Scalzo said current borrowing conditions remain favorable compared with historical levels, though rates are expected to rise in coming years.

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The group is also evaluating how to present potential tax impacts clearly to residents, including cost estimates expressed per $1,000 of assessed property value.

“I hope we can take an approach to say to each taxpayer, this is how much it’s going to cost you,” Scalzo said.

Members also discussed the possibility of private or grant funding for portions of any future project, though no specific fundraising effort has been initiated.

Lessons From Schlumberger Citizens Committee

The committee briefly reviewed lessons from the town’s earlier Schlumberger property advisory process, which included surveys and public workshops before issuing recommendations.

Members noted that while that committee’s recommendations were not ultimately implemented, its engagement structure — surveys, public input and iterative narrowing of options — could inform the current process.

Volunteer Fire Input Planned

Martinez said he intends to invite Volunteer Fire Chief Timothy Bianchi to speak with the committee at a future meeting to ensure volunteer firefighter perspectives are fully considered.

“We have an integrated department,” Martinez said. “Our volunteers are critical to us.”

Next Steps

The committee will devote its next meeting to KBA’s presentation and questioning. Members emphasized that success will be measured by whether the presentation provides actionable insight to inform their final recommendations.

The meeting adjourned at 8:26 p.m.