(Estherville)– The Estherville City Council voted Monday evening to proceed with a proposal to house the city’s police and fire departments in one facility.
As we reported previously, the city council recently finalized the purchase of a building on Murray Road to relocate the fire department. A space study that has since been done on the facility shows there’s sufficient room to house both departments, with a shared space for training. Police Chief Brent Shatto told the council Monday evening he and Fire Chief Travis Sheridan have already had discussions and will be meeting again soon to review layout plans…
“We have our office space pretty much settled on. Obviously they’ll have the garage space, Travis has an office already settled on. The conference room and training room up front is already settled on, so most everything. We’re just going to get together and have a few minor conversations about what the rest of it looks like, where we need some space, where they might need some space or want some space. We’ll work through it.”
Councilman Tim Ahrens, however, expressed some trepidation about having the Police Department in a joint facility…
“It’s nice that if they have to do interviews and things that they don’t have a bunch of, I’m not saying the Fire Department, but you never know when things are going to happen on the Police Department side or Fire Department side or something’s happening they’re doing interviews or something. I understand that facility is probably going to be very nice where you don’t have to be concerned, but I just kind of like the idea that the city Police Department has their own facility, I guess. I understand it costs money, I understand that we’re here to do the best for the city but I guess I just want to voice my opinion.”
City Administrator Penny Clayton told the council a joint public safety facility would save the city an estimated $35,000 a year on insurance, maintenance, and other costs.
She added the current building the city recently purchased, remodeled and relocated the Police Department to would then be sold, with those proceeds going into the city’s general fund. She said that could help soften any reductions in revenue as the result of any changes by the state to the property tax system.
