VOTE YES TO PROPOSAL ONE

On the 2020 ballot, you will find proposal one for the Town of Windham. This proposal reads, “SHALL THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF WINDHAM BE AUTHORIZED TO BORROW AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,850,000.00 FOR THE PURPOSE OF DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING A COMMUNITY CENTER/AMBULANCE FACILITY?” The Windham Town Board hopes the voters in Windham vote “YES” so the board can move forward with Windham’s need for a new Ambulance Building and Community Center.

NOW IS THE BEST TIME

There will never be a better cost per property for Windham to approve this much-needed project. Interest rates for towns and projects like this are extremely low right now. This lowers the overall cost to taxpayers when the Town borrows funds. Every year the new Ambulance Building/Community Center is delayed; the project’s estimated cost increases by 10%. Delaying the project just one year could put the cost of the new building over TWO MILLION DOLLARS. You can find out how much this new building will cost you at Town Hall.

The Ambulance service provided in Windham is often taken for granted. As of September 30, the Windham Ambulance has received 329 calls, of which 114 are for Advanced Life Support (ALS). The ALS ambulance has a paramedic on board and an Emergency Medical Technician, which can be a lifesaver in a rural area. The ambulance is equipped with airway support equipment, cardiac life support, and cardiac monitors. The patients in an ALS ambulance require a higher level of medical monitoring. They include those who need continuous IV drips, those on a chronic ventilator, and those who require cardiac monitoring. The paramedics and EMTs who staff the advance life support ambulances have a higher level of training than those who operate the basic life support ambulances. As Windham and the Mountaintop become a more popular place for people to live and visit, these services will be more significant than ever. Having the Ambulance Building near the intersection of Route 23 and South Street will be vital for the response time for Advance Life Support.

CURRENT FACILITIES

Windham’s current Ambulance facility is at the Main Care building, at the intersection of Route 23 and Brooksberg Road. Taxpayers currently pay $1,200.00 a month to rent two bays to house the ambulances, a few bedrooms on the second floor, two bathrooms, and some storage. Our hard-working ambulance crews have had to deal with many maintenance issues, including leaks and electrical problems.

With the new Ambulance Building training and many community events in Windham can be held in one location, instead of many different areas. For our Ambulance Director to make sure members have mandatory training, it requires multiple days with split crews as there is not adequate space in the current building. The existing Ambulance Building also does not have room to hold Community Walk-In clinics. The local Seniors Group uses the basement of Town Hall many times throughout the year. When they meet, parking spaces fill up quickly, requiring many seniors to park down the road and cross 296. Getting into the basement requires going down some stairs, which can be difficult for some and inconvenient for most. There is a lift for those who need it, but this can cause a hassle if multiple people need to use it. It also requires yearly maintenance. The Community of Windham Foundation hosts CPR classes, which can be in various locations around Windham. The Foundation can now hold classes in the Community Room, where they should be.

WHAT THE NEW FACILITY IS NOT

When looking at the new Ambulance Building/Community Center’s possible design, the board uses a purposeful and functional layout. There are bays for the ambulances, sleeping area for the ambulance crews, other necessary areas needed for an ambulance building, as well as a training/community room. The training/community room will have many functions. The Ambulance Director will use this room to hold mandatory and requested training for our ambulance crews and other local ambulance crews. Our Ambulance Director has also expressed interest in using the space to hold walk-in clinics for the community, which is not possible at the current location. This area can also hold training for the community, like the CPR training hosted by the Windham Foundation. The Community Room will also be used by the local Seniors Group, replacing the current inconvenient space.

The new Ambulance Building/Community Center will NOT be a recreation area. There are no plans for a tennis/basketball court, pool, playground, or likewise. The community and Town Board continue to work hard on making CD Lane Park the place to go for the community to enjoy Windham area recreation.

YES TO THE FUTURE TODAY

Voting “YES” to Proposal One for Windham is a vote to help the community now and the taxpayers in the future. Now the community will benefit from better ambulance service, better accessibility, and better fellowship. The new necessary Ambulance Building/Community Center cost will only increase if the project is delayed, needlessly costing the taxpayers in the future.