Firm to develop facility plan for police department

By Andreas Yilma, Staff Writer

NAUGATUCK — Borough officials have hired an architectural firm to develop a plan for improvements to the Naugatuck Police Department to sustain the building for the future.

The Board of Mayor and Burgesses May 5 unanimously awarded a contract to Jacunski Humes Architects LLC out of Berlin for up to $10,000 to design a five-to-ten-year plan for the building.

The police department, which was built in 1996, has started to show signs of aging. The air conditioning system went down last year and was replaced earlier this year for $131,000.

Police Chief Steven Hunt said the firm will provide officials with a blueprint on what needs to be done to the building.

“We’re just asking them to look at the shell of our building and how we can improve upon it within the next five to 10 years, so we’re not caught in a situation like last year,” Hunt said.

Hunt said the firm will assess the building, including the plumbing, mechanical and electrical components.

“There has not been many upgrades to this building,” Deputy Chief C. Colin McAllister said. “There’s not been a significant investment in it. The facility as a whole is aging.”

Hunt said one aspect of the building police officials want the firm to look at is ventilation for the evidence room. With the opioid crisis and an increase in the drug fentanyl being cut with heroin, he said officials want to make sure the room is properly ventilated.

McAllister said some of the recommended improvements will be big-ticket capital items, and having a plan in place will help officials prioritize the projects.

McAllister said the firm is also going to evaluate how the department can use its space more efficiently.

The design plan is expected to be done by the end of the fiscal year.

“I’d like to thank the borough board for its commitment of the up keeping and maintenance of the facility,” McAllister said.