Lakeville approves $774,400 capital package after debate over $300,000 police station roof

Lakeville voters on June 15 approved a $774,400 capital-improvements article that included $300,000 for a police station roof replacement after a focused debate about safety and long-term cost.

The capital package — presented and recommended, with some reservations, by the finance committee — also funded two police cruisers, radar units, body cameras and booking camera, fire department defibrillators and rescue tools, repairs to the highway salt shed, technology updates and repaving of the Ted Williams Camp driveway.

Nathan Dowling, the town building commissioner, told the meeting the police station roof includes three different rooftop assemblies that must be removed and rebuilt. "It's 3 different rooftop assemblies that need to be torn off and right down to bare bones and rebuilt. We have a structural analysis...It's been deemed unsafe, so we have to do it," he said.

Several residents questioned whether investing $300,000 in repairs is wise when a new police station could cost millions; others said the current roof presented immediate safety and liability concerns for staff. Officials said planning and an outright replacement would cost substantially more — "a typical police station...is in the area of $7 to $9 million" — and no replacement proposal was on the warrant.

Because the appropriation potentially draws on stabilization funds and debt-authorizing actions, the vote required a two-thirds threshold; tellers counted and the moderator declared the article passed by the required margin. The selectmen and relevant departments are expected to scope work and return with procurement and contracting details.