Cohasset Public Safety Building Project Delayed to Spring Amid Call for Additional Planning
COHASSET - October 7 - The Cohasset Select Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to remove the proposed $18 million public safety building project from the November 3rd Special Town Meeting warrant, citing the need for more community engagement, additional benchmarking data, and clearer operational plans before presenting the project to voters.
The Full Story
The decision came after Select Board Chair Ellen Maher noted serious concerns raised during a joint meeting the previous evening between the Advisory Committee and Capital Budget Committee. While both committees acknowledged the clear need for improved police and fire facilities, questions remained about fire department operational structure, plans for the existing Elm Street fire station, and comprehensive cost comparisons with other communities.
“I think we have more work to do to give this initiative as much chance of success as possible,” Maher said. “It’s a large amount of money for our town to spend and I think it’s appropriate to study it even further.”
Board member Julie Rollins agreed, stating she “wholeheartedly” supports police and fire on King Street but believes the project “would not have as good of a chance of passing a town meeting and on the ballot if we were to proceed right now with the information that we have now and the information that the public has available to them right now.”
Select Board member Paul Grady expressed disappointment but concurred with the delay. “While I concur with putting the project off, I think there’s a lot behind it. A lot of misconceptions have grown out there, a lot of commentary,” Grady said. “I don’t think there’s any price we can put on public safety, the safety of our kids, our residents, the health and well-being of our town hall staff, fire personnel.”
Board member David Farrag raised concerns about potential impacts of the delay on the bidding process. “When you re-bid a project, what kind of bids you’re going to get becomes an issue because people in the industry spend thousands of dollars to come up with the bids,” Farrag said. He noted that if Cohasset develops a reputation for not following through on projects, contractors may be less willing to submit competitive bids, potentially driving up costs.
Town Manager Chris Senior has been working with Assistant Town Manager Michelle Leary on the project. The board praised their dedication and acknowledged the project will continue to move forward with enhanced community engagement. The board discussed expanding the existing working group to include representatives from the Advisory Committee and Capital Budget Committee, as well as additional citizens at large.
The board also indicated that public forums on the project will continue but will pivot from “selling the project to listening to people about the project,” according to Maher. The forums will focus on gathering community input about what residents want and need in a public safety facility.
Dan Tarpey, who has been part of the working group, expressed support for the delay while noting the risks. “Every day we delay, the cost of this goes up,” Tarpey warned. He also highlighted safety concerns, particularly regarding ambulance response times when trains block Beach Street. “It’s only a matter of time before that ambulance is stopped on a very important run,” he said.
The board emphasized the importance of planning for the future with any new public safety facility. “We have to plan for the future in terms of the needs of policing, what policing will look like in the future, what apparatus might be needed in the future, what technology might be needed in the future,” Maher said. “Because the building is only new one time when you open the door and you can’t redo it.”
The project is now expected to be brought forward at either a special town meeting in early spring or at the annual town meeting. With the project removed from the warrant, the previously scheduled special election for November 15th was also cancelled, as there are no ballot questions requiring a vote.
Recycling Transfer Facility Enterprise Fund Advances
In other major business, the board unanimously voted to recommend approval of an enterprise fund for the Recycling Transfer Facility (RTF). Town Manager Senior explained that implementing the enterprise fund would help stabilize costs and prevent dramatic fee increases for residents.
Board members requested that additional information be added to the article before town meeting to make clear the fee structure both with and without the enterprise fund. “People have no way of knowing by looking at this what the fees will be for the transfer station if this does not pass,” said board member Julie Rollins.
RTF Manager Frank Marchione provided extensive detail on operations, noting the facility is open seven days per week and serves as Cohasset’s “stabilizer in a very dynamic, ever-changing, highly regulated industry.” He explained that without the RTF, residents would face limited options and likely higher costs through private haulers.
Marchione noted recent operational improvements including new compactors and more efficient cardboard recycling systems. He emphasized the facility’s capital needs, including a 2016 roll-off truck that would cost $350,000 to replace and could take one to two years to obtain.
The board also discussed forming an RTF Advisory Committee to provide oversight during the transition to enterprise fund status. The committee would include a Select Board liaison, Marchione, DPW Director Brian Joyce, and two citizens. The committee would review operations, inventory equipment, monitor a planned pilot program, and provide regular reports to the Select Board.
Farrag noted that traffic counters have been installed at three locations near the RTF to establish baseline data on traffic patterns before any pilot program changes are implemented.
Special Town Meeting Warrant Finalized
The board voted to close and publish the warrant for the November 3rd Special Town Meeting. With the removal of the public safety building article, the warrant now includes articles addressing unpaid bills from previous years, capital improvement projects including water department sludge lagoon expansion, the RTF enterprise fund creation, and several other appropriations.
The board chose to delay making a recommendation on Article 13, a citizens’ petition regarding free afternoon kindergarten, until after hearing from the School Committee at their meeting the following night. While board members expressed philosophical support for eliminating kindergarten tuition, they indicated they wanted to understand the School Committee’s position before taking a formal vote.
“I don’t feel comfortable voting on this until I’ve heard from them officially,” said Rollins. Farrag noted concerns about reimbursing tuition mid-year from an already-approved budget, stating “it generally is a policy that’s not a good policy to have.”
Town Manager Presents Data on School Funding and Town Operations
Town Manager Senior delivered an extensive presentation providing context around town spending, particularly addressing questions about school funding and town hall operations. Using data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Senior showed that Cohasset’s per-pupil spending of approximately $18,500 exceeds most surrounding communities.
The data showed Cohasset spends more per pupil than Hingham, Scituate, and other neighboring towns, and approximately $4,000 more per pupil than communities like Georgetown that have been cited in comparisons. “Cohasset is not just low, it’s actually high,” Senior said.
Senior also detailed significant school-related expenses that appear outside the school budget, including $4.2 million in health insurance, school resource officers costing over $160,000, property and casualty insurance of nearly $500,000, and out-of-district special education placements at $170,000. He noted the facilities department budget includes $636,007 primarily dedicated to maintaining school buildings.
Regarding town hall staffing, Senior clarified that his office has grown from three positions in 2014 to just four and a half positions today. The additions were an assistant town manager position (evolved from a procurement role) and a communications and community engagement specialist created in 2022.
Senior also presented data on information technology services, showing that schools account for 88 percent of devices supported by the town’s IT department and 42 percent of service requests. The presentation demonstrated that schools have 850 Chromebooks, 820 desktop computers, and 402 iPads supported by the town’s IT staff.
The board emphasized that many town departments provide substantial support to schools beyond what appears in the school budget line item. “If the town were to cut IT in any way, shape, or form, it would be devastating to supporting the schools,” Farrag said.
Other Business
The board approved several other warrant articles including unpaid bills from previous years totaling $7,879, capital improvement projects including a $420,000 water department sludge lagoon expansion project that will be funded through re-purposing of previous appropriations, and allocation of funds for one-time costs including $25,000 for state-mandated plover protection planning.
Dan Tarpey offered public comment thanking the Police Department, Fire Department, Public Works, and Emergency Services for organizing a well-attended Touch a Truck event on Sunday afternoon. “It was tremendous. It was well done, well organized, well attended,” Tarpey said.
Why It Matters
The decision to postpone the public safety building project represents a significant moment in Cohasset’s infrastructure planning. While delaying the project means continued operation in facilities widely acknowledged as inadequate and potentially unsafe, the board’s decision reflects a commitment to ensuring the community has complete information and broad support before making an $18 million investment. The delay allows time for additional analysis, expanded community engagement, and clearer operational planning that could increase the project’s chances of approval when it does come before voters. For residents, this means the existing police station and fire facilities will continue to be used despite known deficiencies, but also provides opportunity for greater input into what a new facility should include. The creation of an RTF enterprise fund, meanwhile, will directly impact how residents pay for trash and recycling services and could help stabilize costs over time while generating funds for future capital improvements at the facility.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Move setting the special town election date to after the special town meeting warrant review. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:03:07)
Motion: Recommend Article 2 (Unpaid Bills of Previous Years) to town meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:05:45)
Motion: Recommend Article 4 (Capital Improvement Projects) to town meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:07:41)
Motion: Remove Article 6 (Public Safety Building) from the Special Town Meeting Warrant. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:26:26)
Motion: Recommend Article 7 (Creation of Enterprise Fund for RTF) to town meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:39:50)
Motion: Recommend Article 9 (Allocation of Funds for One-Time Costs) to town meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:42:17)
Motion: Approve the Town of Cohasset warrant for Special Town Meeting as amended. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:49:19)
Motion: Close the warrant as approved and publish it. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:50:14)
Motion: Approve minutes of September 30, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 01:48:46)
Motion: Adjourn at 8:49 PM. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 01:49:06)
Public Comment
Dan Tarpey of Bates Lane thanked town departments including Police, Fire, Public Works, and Emergency Services for organizing the Touch a Truck event on Sunday afternoon, noting it was well-organized, well-attended, and appreciated by residents of all ages. He also later commented on the public safety building project, supporting the delay while noting concerns about ambulance response times when trains block Beach Street and emphasizing the importance of having emergency services positioned on Route 3A.
What’s Next
The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 3, 2025. The Select Board will make its recommendation on Article 13 (citizens’ petition regarding free kindergarten) at the town meeting after hearing from the School Committee. The public safety building project working group will be expanded to include representatives from Advisory and Capital Budget committees plus additional citizens, and public forums will continue with a focus on listening to community input. An RTF Advisory Committee will be formed with applications open to interested residents. The Select Board will continue holding regular meetings to review department budgets and town operations.
Full meeting available via Cohasset cable access channel 143.