9.0. SR 11-19-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Ci(y Hall- Police Station Ex]oansion Committee Page 3 The government building reserve has funding for part of the project but has nowhere near 5-7 million dollars for a public safety complex. If the public safety complex is not put into the tax levy, then the project will either need to be downsized or delayed. The city can put the project in the annual tax levy by either a public referendum vote (November 2002) or they can have this expenditure take place at any time by working with the EDA on a lease purchase plan. One reason to pursue the public safety complex now (by way of a lease purchase plan) is to take advantage of the good bidding environment and the low interest rates that we currently see. If we move forward now with a spring bidding, then the next big issue will be... how much does the project cost and how much of a project can we afford? In this regard the finance director will have some information to present relating to the tax impact of a 5, 7 or a 9 million dollar lease purchase facility going on the annual tax levy over twenty years. Committee Recommendations At the committee meeting on November 15, 2001, the committee agreed to a number of recommendations. These recommendations are as follows: 1. Pursue option three. 2. Pursue the entire public safety complex at once. 3. The City Council should seriously consider the tax levy and lease/purchase approach for a spring bidding of the project (requires working with the EDA). 4. Consider expanding the existing City Hall complex to include the missing 8,200 sq ft and possibly to address the 10,400 sq ft of needs for 2003 as a "shell". 5. If possible include a basement in all new construction. 6. The EOC be constructed in a basement setting and it not be used as a meeting space available for the public. 7. Support the two story police concept in option three and not a one story police station. 8. Offered no comments on down sizing the police until debt information is known. Option three was selected due to the desire to have fire at the municipal complex and to have it attached to the EOC and Police Station. Option three was also preferred because it allows for the staging of construction. Once the public safety facility is completed, then police move out of their existing space; that space is then remodeled and certain departments then move into that area followed by the rest of City Hall being remodeled. Option three also lays out the best for future expansion opportunities or for new facilities that may be needed in 20 or 30 years in this municipal campus area. The police department will have some information available for the City Council to review regarding justifying the gun range from a cost/benefit point of view. Additionally, we need to look at reducing the 12-14 police garage and to provide some cold storage construction for items that are currently in the police garage (i.e.: snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, bicycles, etc). The data on the tax levy impact to the homeowners will have a big impact on these type of issues.