New substation in Springfield? Negative.
Police learned on Thursday they won’t be getting new digs’not anytime soon, anyway’after Springfield Township Board rejected a $54,000 layout to relocate its substation into the recently renovated fire station on Dixie Highway.
The proposal, which failed by a 4-3 vote, included modifications that would make the fire station’s 1,532 square-foot multipurpose room suitable for use by police.
‘The initial cost isn’t terrible,? said Trustee Dave Hopper, who voted against the move. ‘But we also have to factor in costs like maintenance and utilities. Right now, it’s costing us nothing.?
Less money coming in’as taxable values continue to fall’force township leaders to make tough choices and stretch dollars, Hopper added.
Currently, the substation is housed rent-free at Colombiere Center on Big Lake Road.
The center’s large community of Jesuits operate the establishment, which also serves as an infirmary for sick and retired priests.
Also home to a residential substance abusers treatment center, 27-hole golf course, and an all occasion conference and retreat center, Colombiere is, according to its website, ‘nestled on 420 rolling acres,? and ‘secluded with towering pines, oaks and walking trails.?
Advocates of relocating the substation say numerous issues make the site problematic and less than optimal for police operations.
Trustee Denny Vallad, part of the committee to oversee fire station renovations, said he was in favor of relocating the police, noting such a move was built into expansion plans.
‘I think this project can be completed out of the police fund we have now, assuming some form of a rental charge from the police fund payable to the fire fund,? said Vallad. ‘I think it makes the department more visible and easier to find for residents, and it’s an improved facility.?
Supervisor Mike Trout and Trustee Roger Lamont voted with Vallad in favor of the proposal, but Clerk Laura Moreau voted against, noting she wasn’t sure the police fund could support such a move.
And while Moreau acknowledged the move would provide officers with a better, more suitable base, she had concerns about expenses beyond the initial outlay.
‘Visibility would be a benefit, but we’re going to increase visibility and not have a manned station,? she said, noting the township might want to look at the 2010-2011 budget for the project. ‘People will know where it is, but then expect an officer to be available if they go to that station.?
Currently, residents who don’t call ahead run the risk of arriving at a locked-up office; substation commander Sgt. Tim Willis, along with a detective and deputies, come and go as workload dictates. No other staff are employed by the office.
Willis said he respects the board’s decision, but still believes relocation is ‘the right move to make.?
‘There are a million reasons,? he said. ‘But it was a close vote, and the board took the time and effort needed to think about it. I think they’re all in agreement: it’s the right move at some point, but not with the way things are in the economy right now. I can’t fault them for that.?
While challenges continue to exist in the current site, Willis said community safety is not in jeopardy.
‘I’ve told anyone who will listen’we’ll work out of a tent,? he said. ‘The bottom line is that the investigator and the officers we have are doing a great job; I defy anyone to tell me we don’t have one of the best substations out there.?
But, Willis pointed out, some information circulating at the board meeting was inaccurate; the Independence Township substation, for example, is considered ‘manned? only during normal business hours’not 24 hours, seven days a week.
Willis said he was hopeful the board would revisit the topic down the road.
Trustee Judy Hensler voted against the proposal, but said getting the substation relocated was a priority’and one she didn’t place too far down the road.
‘I’d like to see this happen in the next 12 months,? Hensler said, noting concerns begged several questions. ‘Do we wait? Do we ask for additional millage? Do our residents want a manned station? Are they willing to pay for it??
Treasurer Jamie Dubre also voted against immediate funding of a relocation project, especially given an unstable financial outlook.
‘Last month we made amendments to the police fund, some of which decreased revenue because investment interest is down significantly,? Dubre said. ‘I just don’t think it’s the right time to move forward, especially on a one-year contract with the sheriff’s office.?
Springfield Township, like other communities who contract with the OCSO for police protection, is in the midst of a 12-month contract issued late last year as OSCO and its unions worked to iron out internal issues.
Undersheriff Mike McCabe said the hope is to provide municipalities with a longer-term contract when the current agreement expires at the end of 2009.
But, he said, answers are still unclear.
‘Our past two contracts were written for five years; the one before that was three years,? McCabe said. ‘But we can’t do a lot of long-term planning until we see what comes back from the arbitrator.?
McCabe said a decision could arrive by mid-July, but noted many details must be ironed out once the ruling comes down.