LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Residents will have a chance Saturday to converse with the Public Safety Building Committee tasked with providing a solution to the town's insufficient police/EMS facilities.

The panel is holding a listening session during the Touch a Truck event at Lanesborough Elementary School from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"Members of the committee will staff a booth where you can ask questions about the committee's work or share your interests and concerns regarding the design and construction of a new public safety building," the event reads.

"We are especially interested in hearing from those that have not received or returned a completed community survey. If you did not receive a survey form, we will have them available at our booth."

In late June, Chair Mark Siegars notified the committee that the Touch a Truck event was scheduled on the same day as the planned listening session. The committee felt it was a good idea to have the session during the event to attract people's feedback.

"Go to where the people are," member Lisa Dachinger said.

At this time, Siegars had gathered nearly 200 survey responses and examined more than 160. He briefed the committee on what could be concluded from the survey responses so far.

Thirty-nine said they want just a police facility, 71 wanted a combined police and emergency medical services facility, 34 wanted a police/EMS/fire facility, and 22 did not see a need for a new facility.

"It appears, based on the surveys, people either want police and EMS or they want one building for everybody in town by a pretty significant amount," he said.

During a special town meeting in March, residents voted down the nearly $6 million police and EMS complex.

Siegars reported that one of the comments asked for a $2 million build and another questioned why additional police facilities are needed when the Berkshire Mall is no longer open.

He concluded that respondents seem to want all options for the facility presented to them with cost estimates so that they can compare. Many in opposition to the previous proposal expressed concern about the cost.

Saturday will be the first of three listening sessions held by the committee.

A survey has been mailed out to community members and will be available at the event.  It can be filled out on-site or returned to town hall at a later time.

The nine-member panel formed in May replaces the former Police Station Building Committee that resigned after the proposal was rejected.  Its duties include reviewing materials and the reports produced by the previous committee, looking at variations and other proposals, exploring whether or not to retain the police and EMS aspect, public engagement, and exploring funding options.

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