Committee keeps police-station project on CIP, debates interim locker-room work

The committee left a capital amount for a potential new police station in the plan but acknowledged uncertainty about timing and whether voters would approve a bond. Chair Jim Raymond pointed out that “there is an amount for a new police station, which we admit may may may not be,” and members debated the trade-offs between waiting for a new facility and proceeding with immediate renovations to the existing building.

Some members argued for keeping interim improvements—particularly locker-room work—on the near-term schedule so the department can function safely while any bond and construction timelines are uncertain. Others warned that a new station, if it eventually passes, would still require construction time and that delaying necessary maintenance risks worsening conditions and higher future costs.