Transcript 2013 Public Safety Facility Bond

2013 Public Safety Facility Bond
Albany Police Department
The public safety bond will fund construction of a new police facility on land that the City already owns. The existing police station was
built in 1988 for a staff of 47. The current police department facility is 10,500 sq ft. More than 87 people work there today. Since 1988,
Albany’s population has grown from 28,020 to 50,710 and police calls for service increased by more than 55%. The City Council has
determined that the existing building and site are inadequate to meet the law enforcement needs of our community. This measure
amends the city charter to authorize up to $20.3 million in principal amount of city general obligation bonds to finance capital costs
related to new, seismically sound public safety facilities, including a police station and a main fire station. The city estimates that the levy
for these bonds will be at the same rate as the city levies for its outstanding general obligation bonds (about 43 cents per $1,000 of
assessed value).
The City’s Strategic Plans, as early as 2007, have identified the need for new public safety fire and police facilities. The Plans stated the
intention to take a funding measure to voters no later than 2015. The City Council is asking voters to consider funding these facilities now
while interest rates are at historic lows. The new bonds would also generally coincide with the pending payoff of general obligation
bonds, issued in 1996 and 1999 (refinanced in 2007). Because of the pay-off of those bonds, the new fire and police facility bonds are not
expected to increase property taxes. Instead, the City expects to continue levying taxes at approximately the current rates.
The exact design will depend on construction costs at the time bids are received. The general proposal is for a 30,000 sq. ft. two-story
building, with the ability to add third and fourth floors in the future. The ideal scenario would be to add a third floor shell now and finish
it later when more funds become available. The feasibility study recommended a 43,995 sq. ft. facility for a 10-year growth plan and
50,808 sq. ft. for a 20-year growth plan. All these factors will be taken into consideration during the design phase.
Planned items in a new Police facility include:
Radio tower on or attached to building.
Holding cells that are sight- and sound-secure.
Radio and computer equipment room.
Emergency backup power generator.
Vault for secure storage of seized weapons, drugs, money.
Secure parking with automatic gates.
Covered parking for emergency vehicles.
Dispatch center equipment and work area.
Secure sally port for prisoner processing.
Interview rooms.
Locker rooms.
Evidence processing area.
Video surveillance system.
Weapons armory.
Work out area.
Training room.
Bulletproof glass for front entrance.
Community room for public safety education.