By Samantha Bryant

Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Georgetown City Council voted 6-1 on Nov. 22 for a public safety operations and training facility construction cost option that would build the facility as approved by voters in May 2011—at about 70,000 square feet.

Council members had considered five construction options at a Nov. 8 meeting, but narrowed the options down to three for the Nov. 22 meeting. The options included constructing a 54,000-square-foot building that would meet the immediate needs of the fire and police departments, building a 70,000-square-foot space but only finishing out 54,000 square feet of the building, or building the entire 70,000-square-foot facility.

“I do not think it’s worth doing something less at this time,” Councilman Tommy Gonzalez said before he voted for the complete build-out of the 70,000-square-foot facility. “[This is] to give police and fire the facilities they deserve.”

Gonzalez said that construction costs and interest rates are at an all-time low, and that the cost savings of not completely building the facility was not enough for him to vote to delay its entire construction.

On a 25-year note, the tax rate impact of the bonds could be $0.04872 annually for building the full facility, compared with $0.04117 for completing the entire exterior of the facility but leaving 15,000 square feet unfinished until it is needed.

The unfinished space would have been located throughout the building and would be reserved for separate departments and programs. Police Chief Wayne Nero said the space would have been finished out and used on an incremental basis as it became necessary.

The difference between operations and maintenance cost for the partial and complete build-out was estimated at $87,000 annually because of utility cost savings.

Gonzalez said finishing out the 15,000 square feet on an as-needed basis would disrupt public safety operations and be expensive in the long run.

“What it ultimately comes down to is what the voters want and what the [fire and police] chiefs want,” Councilwoman Rachael Jonrowe said.

Voters had approved the 70,000-square-foot building with training facilities in May to be constructed on property along D.B. Wood Road by 2014.

Councilwoman Pat Berryman voted against the motion, saying that she would rather have built the 70,000-square-foot facility but only finish out 54,000 square feet.