The Moscow City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a bond ordinance that addresses the construction of a new police department.
In 2015, Moscow City Council identified the “deteriorating and substandard” police services facility as a significant challenge facing the community, according to a Feb. 19 committee staff report.
“The new police services facility has been a project that is beyond the reach of the city with our existing funding and revenues and resources,” said Bill Belknap, community development director.
Belknap, who presented the bond ordinance, said initially, a new facility was to be located where the current Moscow Recycling Center is, as it was anticipated that the recycling center would be relocated. However, recent changes to the recycling market and program, as well as community desire to keep the recycling center in its current location, lead to the need to identify a new police department location, Belknap said.
After review of several locations, the city council selected a 2.31-acre site located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Main Street and Southview Avenue, just west of The Grove apartments.
Belknap said the estimated cost of the new police services facility is $7.89 million, with the remodel of its current location estimated at $1.5 million. The total bond amount, which includes total project costs plus bond issuance fees, is $9.64 million.
The ordinance passed Tuesday also addresses the remodeling of the current police station so it can house Engineering and Community Development, and it addresses remodeling of the Mann building by City Hall to accommodate the Information Systems Department, according to the committee staff report. The Mann building currently houses the Engineering and Community Development offices.
The estimated cost for remodeling the Mann building is $132,043, he said.
The anticipated interest rate on the proposed 10-year bond measure is 2.21 percent, Belknap said, and the estimated average annual cost to taxpayers is $85 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value.
The bond election will be May 21 at the Latah County Fairgrounds. Belknap said a two-thirds majority vote is needed to pass the bond.
Jordan Willson can be reached at [email protected]