Two proposals for police space needs discussed

By Dana Casadei

After multiple meetings with the board of trustees over the last few months – both internally and at their monthly meetings – James Gallagher, Bloomfield Township Police Chief, once again came before the board to discuss the police department’s space needs on Monday, July 13. 

The department’s space needs were originally brought up at the board of trustees meeting on March 23, then again at both the April 13 and April 28 meetings. 

Currently, the police department is operating in about 22,00-square-feet in two buildings. The square footage includes not just office space, but hallways and stairways as well. Gallagher said then that they have converted every conference room they could into another useful space, and in some cases, conference rooms that were once just for the department are now shared with other departments. There’s also no soft interview rooms or room for two additional cubicles to be added for traffic officers. 

According to the space needs assessment conducted by RedStone, a police department of Bloomfield Township’s size should operate across 58,000-60,000 square feet to be the most efficient, including hallways and stairwells, and would put operation space at about 45,000-square-feet.

“One of the goals we’ve set for our agency is our infrastructure," Gallagher said. “I know we’ve had this discussion but from a police chief perspective I’d like to see us get into further, deeper discussions and make a plan of action.” 

And after the board of trustees meeting on July 13, it seems a plan of action may finally be on its way.

Over the course of about half an hour treasurer Michael Schostak presented two proposals regarding the space needs for the Bloomfield Township Police Department.

“We’re really here to have an open discussion on this,” Schostak said. “I know there’s some disagreement on the board about which way we should go.”

Proposal one would replace the existing township hall and police building with one new building that would be located in the parking lot between township hall and the 48th District Court. With proposal one, the communications and community affairs department would also move into the new building, and would allow for the renovation of the cable building to become the animal shelter. If they go through with this proposal the old animal shelter, and police/township hall buildings, would all be torn down. 

Plans to build a park at the corner of Exeter and Telegraph, and build a new public safety training facility on the township’s Golf Drive property would be included in proposal one as well. 

In total, the bond size for proposal one would be $74.9 million with a .5632 mill tax that would cost the average taxpayer about $146.43, officials said.

“To get a brand new building would put us in a very good position,” said trustee Valerie Murray. “Personally, I know it’s a lot of money but I think proposal one makes a lot more sense.”

Schostak also leaned more towards proposal one, and said it would be a more comprehensive plan compared to proposal two. 

While Murray and Schostak were both proponents for proposal one, other trustees had some questions about the proposal and if it would be the right fit financially for the township.

“We have a lot of needs and some wants,” trustee Chris Kolinski said. “The need is a new police station and fire station; to me, those are non-negotiable.”

For Kolinski, one of those wants in proposal one is the public safety training facility, which is estimated to cost almost $4.9 million. 

“When I look at some of the line items, that goes to a want and maybe not a need,” he said.

Within the second proposal township hall would be renovated instead of torn down, with the hope to give more space to police and bring the communications and community affairs department into the building.

A new police department building would be built north of township hall, in the parking lot between township hall and the 48th District Court. The cable building would still be renovated for the animal shelter, which would be torn down. 

Even though proposal two would be less expensive – the bond size would be $59.4 million with an annual millage rate of .4552 mills and cost the average taxpayer $28 less than proposal one – it did come with more concerns. 

The township hall would only be at 60 percent occupancy with this plan; the police department would continue operating out of two buildings, leading to complexities to maintain the department as one cohesive unit; it may require more expensive and unpredictable maintenance and repairs moving forward since the building is 90-years-old; and there would be no green space opportunity. 

“Does it make fiscal sense to continue to maintain a 90-year-old building or is there enough capital improvement over the next five years of this building that will start to narrow that cost for making a new building?” Kolinski asked. “Those are the numbers I’d like to see.”

Trustee Neal Barnett echoed similar views to Kolinski.

And while Barnett liked the addition of the park in proposal one, and that this plan would allow for everyone to be in one building together, he also hesitated at the cost, with a clear concern about the expenses in proposal one.

Barnett asked to see more actual numbers and not just estimates regarding what the cost would be for the maintenance of township hall, ideally on a yearly basis. 

“I think we need to have that… and I think those numbers would be very helpful in maybe convincing some of us to go along with the first proposal,” Barnett said. 

Discussions on the police space needs are likely to continue throughout the summer. 

If the board were to put this item on the November ballot a decision would need to be made by the beginning of August. 

“I’d like to see us take a chance on this and put it on our biggest election. Everyone knows there’s a big election in November, I think it’s a good chance for voters to be heard,” Murray said.