Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Proposed Public Safety Complex

Frequently Asked Questions for the Proposed

Public Safety Building, Williamsburg, MA

Below is a list of questions that are often asked about the proposed new building for the fire, police, and emergency services departments. The answers are found here.

1. Why do we need a new building for police, fire, and emergency services? 

2. What does the police department do for us? 

3. What does the fire department do for us? 

4. What does Emergency Services do for us?

5. How large is the proposed building? 

6. Why was it so hard to find a site for a new safety facility?

7. What other sites were evaluated for the new facility? 

8. What about acquiring privately owned land? 

9. Can the Town wait and see if additional options and/or land become available? 

10. What would Helen E. James think about the disuse and removal of the school building? 

11. Is the HEJ building really in such bad shape? 

12. Can any part of the HEJ building be used in the new building? 

13. What options were considered for the new facility? 

14. How much will the Public Safety building increase my taxes? 

15. How will the Town pay for the proposed Public Safety building options? 

16. Can the HEJ be sold and therefore kept as the main building on that site? 

17. Can the current police and fire buildings be sold?

18. Can we leave the HEJ Building alone, and build a Public Safety building next to it? 

19. Will the new Public Safety building be a metal pre-engineered building?

20. Why is the new proposed Public Safety building so expensive? 

21. Has the OPM Steering Committee spent the entirety of the $180,000 that was voted at the previous Special Town Meeting for the current design phase?

22. What will happen to the current fire and police department buildings? 

23. Our fire department is a call / volunteeer service.  What does that mean?

24. Why is the Westhampton public safety complex larger than ours but less costly?

25. Why are we not doing solar panels?