NORTHFIELD — A public forum to discuss the future of the town’s public safety departments will be held Wednesday in the Pioneer Valley Regional School cafeteria.
Pizza and drinks will be provided at 6 p.m., and the discussion will begin at 6:15 p.m. Children are welcome to attend, and older children are encouraged to participate. For younger children, activities such as crayons and coloring books will be provided.
Advance registration is requested to determine the number of likely attendees, but it is not required to participate in the discussion. To register, go to surveymonkey.com/r/NorthfieldForum.
Through grant funding, Northfield has engaged the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston to facilitate this process. Town Administrator Andrea Llamas said the purpose of the discussion will be to allow residents to talk to each other about shared values and priorities, concerns and possibilities for Northfield’s public safety departments, and creative ideas for the future.
According to Llamas and Selectboard member Barbara “Bee” Jacque, the format of the forum will encourage more open conversation among residents by conducting what consultants described as a “world café” style conversation.
“They’ll break into small working groups to discuss different topics,” Llamas explained.
In these small groups, participants will share their thoughts on different topics, possibly by taking notes that will be shared with all attendees. Groups will rotate so that residents can share their thoughts on all topics related to the town Police, Fire and EMS departments. Topics may range from material needs for equipment, to policies for interaction between and within each public safety department.
The evening will also share the results of a survey distributed by the Collins Center and completed by Northfield’s public safety departments. The data will inform discussion by providing residents with an understanding of how each department operates, as well as what they may need for future development.
Llamas said the survey was conducted with “fortuitous timing,” as Northfield looks to build a shared emergency services facility for its Police, EMS and Fire departments.
During a Sept. 28 meeting, the Selectboard and members of public safety departments — including EMS Chief Mark Fortier and Interim Police Chief Alexander Pirozhkov — interviewed two companies recommended by the town Emergency Services Facility Committee. After discussion, the Selectboard unanimously voted to hire Colliers International as the owner’s project manager for the emergency services facility project.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.
Town of Northfield Forum Flyer-V1 by Zachary DeLuca on Scribd