Though there was some confusion about which document it was to work off of and some nervousness expressed about the timeline the work should be completed in, the Westfield RFP Review and Recommendation Committee hit the ground running at its first meeting on February 24.

The committee is charged with making suggestions to the Board of Selectmen for a request for proposal, or RFP, for the construction of senior affordable housing on the Westfield property in West Wareham.

On Saturday, February 19 the Board of Selectmen picked James Franklin, William Heaney, Joseph Mulkern, David Nilson, Michele Rose, Bruce Sauvageau, and Sandy Slavin to sit on the review committee.

The group got the ball rolling by designating a chairman, William Heaney; a clerk, Michele Rose; and a liaison to the Board of Selectmen, Bruce Sauvageau. The liaison will update the Selectmen on the committee’s work and ask for further clarification should questions arise.

Selectmen Jane Donahue, Steve Holmes, and Brenda Eckstrom and Town Administrator Mark Andrews joined the newly-formed committee at the beginning of its meeting to answer any questions before the group mapped out how it would best fulfill its duties.

The Board of Selectmen provided the committee with a packet containing a skeleton of the RFP for the project Donahue called a "win-win" for the elderly in Wareham.

There was some initial confusion on the state of the most current draft, which will contain both a management agreement and a separate development aspect of the project. The development portion will address issues such as sewer options and a suggested layout for the proposed recreational area of the complex. The Town Planner is currently working on that draft of the RFP, according to Andrews.

As it stands, the review committee did not have the most up-to-date version of the RFP. However, plans were made to get it into the hands of members so the review process could begin.

The timeframe for completion of the RFP was also up for discussion. The Board of Selectmen suggested the committee's work should be finished by the end of March. However, after the Selectmen and Town Administrator left the meeting, the committee voiced concerns about how long the process will take.

"I feel like I am being put in a concrete box the first night," said David Nilson, who explained the proposed four-week timeframe to submit the RFP might need to be extended if the draft requires an a complete overhaul.

The group agreed with Nilson. However, Heaney noted that if the unseen draft requires only minor alterations, the initial timeframe can still be met. "It is not necessary to get everything in the RFP, but getting things that are important to the town in," explained Heaney.

Both the Board of Selectmen and the Westfield RFP Review and Recommendation Committee have scheduled an tentative joint meeting for March 26 to discuss the group’s progress. If all goes as planned, it will submit suggestions to Town Administrator Mark Andrews and the Board of Selectmen on April 1.

"The idea is to start at page one and go through each page," said Heaney. He also told the members that homework would be essential to making the proposal a success. Over the next week, members will read over the latest draft and outline any thoughts they have on the proposal.

The committee will meet on a weekly basis. Its next meeting will be on Thursday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m.