The police/fire facility project is moving very quickly now. Here’s a quick update:
First, check out the project webpage for current information. This page includes a schedule of upcoming and past meetings of the Council, Steering Committee (the larger team of community members, the Mayor, Councilmembers Jon Denison and Erica Zweifel, KKE architects, and city staff), the Design Team (smaller, technical body with police/fire chiefs, city administrator, KKE, and Councilperson Denison) as well as links to agendas, information packets, minutes, etc. The website also includes links to KYMN’s video of Council meetings, documents, and much much more. If you have a question, start here.
Next week, the Steering Committee meets at 3 pm (it’s a public meeting in the Council Chambers, so you can and should attend). The Council will be told of the Steering Committee’s site selection recommendation only after that meeting and we will be acting on that recommendation that evening at our regular meeting.
Why is this project on a whiplash fast timeline? In addition to wanting to move quickly simply to move the project along or to capture lower construction costs (the bids for the 4th Street Reconstruction project came in almost $700,000 lower than estimated, for example), the driving force is making decisions in advance of deadlines required by our financing choices. If we decide to issue general obligation bonds which require a referendum, then the goal is to be able to put the question(s) on the November election ballot – not much time for public education, publishing ballot questions, and having voters vote. If we decide to issue capital improvement bonds which do not require a referendum (but subject to reverse referendum), we must still hold a public hearing and vote to approve CIP bonds by a 3/5 majority of the Council.
Update: Materials for Tuesday: Here are the Budget Analysis and Site Diagrams the steering committee will consider on Tuesday afternoon. The committee will make a recommendation based on their Tuesday discussion of these documents at the Council meeting that evening.
I hope the possible site at Woodley Street opens up the discussion to what it should be – building a fire station, and investing in some equipment.
Moving the fire station will give the police enough room for years to come.
Take it off the fast track, and do it right. Construction costs are going to be low for long time to come.
Hey Dave… we agree on something! Your last paragraph is the comment I made in the public comment section at the last Council meeting.
Seriously, Betsey, start listening to the staff comments with “a grain of salt” … if you don’t already. The dire warnings of escalating costs are ridiculous… Where are they hiding the Crystal Ball, and why don’t they share it with their Employers: the Council ?
Oh, I bet I know where that Crystal Ball is hiding … in the publicist’s pocket!