Pelican Rapids council authorizes design work for proposed police garage

Chief Don Quaint presented a proposal to develop architectural plans for a police garage connected to city hall and asked the council to authorize Design Intent Architects to prepare design and funding‑readiness documents.

Quaint explained the department currently operates three vehicles and that a practical build would accommodate four vehicles with the option to expand to five stalls. He said one stall could be used for a city staff vehicle and, if needed for evidence storage, the staff vehicle would be moved out of the building. The design work will help the city pursue grant funding (USDA and other sources) and to determine costs and layout.

Councilors moved and seconded a motion to proceed with the design‑intent contract from Design Intent Architects; the motion carried. During discussion the council noted there is no specific line item in the current budget and mentioned possible funding sources including liquor‑store revenues and existing planning budgets; staff said detailed funding estimates will return after design work begins.

Next steps: staff will receive architectural plans and cost estimates from the architect and identify potential grant opportunities and funding sources for construction.