Ridgefield Public Safety Committee Debates Public Outreach Timeline

Dunaway told the committee she revised an earlier draft to use simpler language that would be easier for residents to understand when the committee eventually presents its findings publicly. She said she reviewed the revisions with Police Chief Jeffrey Kreitz and Fire Chief Rommie Duckworth to ensure the technical descriptions accurately reflected operational requirements.

"My hope is I can expand this bigger," Dunaway said, explaining that the scoring matrix could ultimately be incorporated into public presentations comparing potential sites.

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Committee members reviewed several proposed revisions, including eliminating duplicate criteria and clarifying language surrounding site control, operational needs and cost comparisons. Members generally agreed that some concepts should remain in both the pass-fail section and the scored evaluation because they address different aspects of a property's viability.

The committee also agreed to remove references to specific square-footage targets and predetermined budget benchmarks, concluding that properties should instead be judged against one another rather than against fixed numerical goals.

Several revisions focused on making technical planning terminology easier for the public to understand. Dunaway said future public materials should avoid industry jargon whenever possible and instead describe concepts in plain language.

Chair Wally Martinez said technical terms can still be used during committee meetings but should be explained clearly whenever they appear in public-facing documents.

Members also examined how to evaluate police headquarters locations, including whether proximity to the town center should remain a significant factor and whether response-to-call criteria originally included in the draft were appropriate for police operations. Dunaway questioned whether one proposed measure was more applicable to the Fire Department than the Police Department, and the committee agreed to revise or remove the language.

Feeling the Heat Maps

Discussion then turned to fire station evaluation criteria, particularly how response times and emergency call "heat maps" should influence site rankings.

Dunaway suggested simplifying the language by measuring whether a location would improve, maintain or worsen average response times while using the department's call-volume heat map as a visual aid during future public presentations.

Related: Ridgefield Officials Advance Site Evaluation Process for Police, Fire Facilities

Committee member Edward Tyrell cautioned against relying too heavily on the heat map alone, noting that concentrating solely on the highest-volume areas could overlook service to other parts of town.

Adam Safir said the committee must explain that the maps represent weighted call activity rather than simply highlighting isolated locations with frequent incidents.

"There’s a lot of nuance," Safir said, adding that the chiefs had helped committee members better understand how to interpret the data.

Martinez said emergency medical service calls account for roughly three-quarters of Fire Department responses but emphasized that structural fire protection also remains an important consideration because of Ridgefield's concentration of homes, schools and other buildings near the town center. He said committee members would ultimately balance data with professional judgment when scoring sites.

The committee also discussed whether fire station decontamination requirements belong in the site evaluation itself or should instead be treated as design requirements addressed later by architects.

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Members generally agreed that decontamination facilities are operational necessities that must be incorporated into any future building design rather than criteria that distinguish one site from another. Martinez said architects would ultimately be responsible for designing facilities that satisfy health, safety and building code requirements.

Dunaway said she plans to revise the matrix further before committee members begin formally scoring properties. She also proposed adding note fields so evaluators can explain individual scores and record site-specific observations such as wetlands, setbacks or access limitations that may not be reflected elsewhere in the scoring system.

Committee members supported the addition, saying it would provide useful context when comparing dozens of properties.

Slim Pickings

Martinez encouraged members to avoid delaying completion of the evaluation tool in pursuit of perfection. He also emphasized that, counter to popular perception, there are very few realistic site candidates.

"We may, and it's a big may, have discovered at least one other viable option. May, and that took a ton of work," he said. "Let's try to avoid perfect. Let's get to good."

The committee also agreed that once formal evaluations begin, the scoring methodology should be locked in so criteria are not changed midway through the review process.

When to Begin the Outreach?

A lengthy discussion followed regarding how much public outreach should occur before recommendations are forwarded to the Board of Selectpersons.

Dunaway advocated bringing residents into the process earlier through presentations at community organizations and other public gatherings, saying the committee should demonstrate that it thoroughly examined dozens of properties and explain why many sites were eliminated.

She argued that broader engagement could both improve public understanding and potentially surface ideas the committee had not considered.

Martinez questioned whether expanding outreach before identifying viable options would meaningfully increase participation, noting that attendance at committee meetings has remained low despite months of public sessions.

He said the committee has conducted its work openly since January and suggested public interest is likely to increase once concrete proposals are available.

Committee members generally agreed that future public presentations should explain the committee's methodology, describe why sites were rejected and demonstrate that no viable options were overlooked.

Safir suggested that once recommendations become more concrete, the committee could consider surveys or other tools to gauge public reaction, although Dunaway said residents would first need sufficient background information to understand the options being presented.

Tick, Tock... or Not?

The committee also discussed its Sept. 15 target date for presenting recommendations to the Board of Selectpersons.

Dunaway said selectpersons recently indicated publicly that additional time could be granted if necessary and unsuccessfully sought committee support to request more flexibility now. Her motion failed for lack of a second.

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Stephen Scalzo said he saw no reason the committee could not meet its current deadline, while Tyrell said the committee should continue working toward Sept. 15 unless instructed otherwise by the Board of Selectpersons. Martinez said additional time should be requested only if circumstances beyond the committee's control, such as property acquisition issues, make it necessary.

Police Commissioner Weighs In

Police Commission Chair Sharon Wicks Dornfeld, speaking during the meeting, said she believes the committee faces two separate issues: completing its recommendations and allowing sufficient public review before any referendum.

She noted that ballot deadlines could require recommendations to reach the Board of Selectpersons before Sept. 15 if a referendum is to appear on the November ballot and questioned whether enough time would remain afterward for residents to fully evaluate multiple alternatives.

"Time to put pen to paper," Martinez agreed.

During tiger team updates, Scalzo reported that consultant Kaestle Boos Associates was expected to complete preliminary fit studies for one property the following week and that soil testing had been commissioned for two parcels. Other committee members reported continued work on renovation concepts and alternative site configurations.

Following an executive session concerning privately owned property, the committee returned to public session, approved its previous meeting minutes and adjourned.