I want to thank the 140 people who attended the March 12 public meeting organized by Falmouth’s Ad Hoc Community Facilities Planning Committee. In advance of this large event, members of the committee visited with more than 30 community organizations to spread information, gather feedback and encourage folks to come to this larger meeting. The goal of the meeting was to garner “big-picture” guidance, priorities and vision regarding the complex facility questions before us; I’m optimistic that our goal was met. While some attendees would have welcomed detailed building appraisals and cost estimates for specific proposals, the committee needed community guidance first. We believed it premature and imprudent to spend the considerable public money required to develop such specifics without first understanding what matters most to our neighbors.
In case readers were unable to attend the meeting, I encourage them to weigh in through the online survey on the town’s Web site. The survey will be available through March 26, when we will combine these results with those from March 12 and get to work. The committee will take this input and get down to details based on the priorities expressed in the data and anecdotal comments. I urge Falmouth residents to stay tuned for further details and opportunities to express their preferences. These are very big decisions; we are committed to a thoughtful, transparent and informed process that includes as much public input as we can possibly get.