From The Beacon

By Vaughn Larson, Date Unknown

SHEBOYGAN – On an 11-3 vote, the Committee of the Whole pared the options for a new police station down to two sites last Monday night – City Hall and the Van Der Vaart property on South Business Drive and Georgia Avenue.

The county-owned parcel on North 23rd Street did not make the final cut, despite being the top choice in a recent report by Zimmerman Design Group of Milwaukee.

Alderman Gene Davis called for a vote on selecting City Hall as the site for the new police station. Alderman Silas Vander Weele countered that the Van Der Vaart site should be considered as well.

A subsequent recommendation from Alderwoman Renee Suscha to add the North 23rd Street location was voted down.

Davis said it was time to move on a new police station.

“It was just taking too long”, he said Tuesday. “I talk to people, and they tell me, ‘Get that thing built’. If we keep postponing it, it will just cost more money.”

Davis said his motion was a gamble, and that it may have been safer to call for removing sites from consideration. But he felt that the Committee of the Whole wanted to move on it.

According to Alderman James Graf, the city Finance Committee – which met just prior to the Committee of the Whole meeting – indicated that a decision on the police station needed to be made sooner rather than later so that plans could be made accordingly. Graf said that adjustments in the state budget have raised concern over city finances in the upcoming budget cycle.

Still, Graf was surprised that the North 23rd Street parcel was not included as a finalist.

Davis said he “personally never liked” the county parcel. Vander Weele said that his constituents have made it quite clear that they oppose building a new police station on North 23rd Street.

Graf acknowledge a petition opposing the county site, but said that did not factor into Monday night’s vote.

County Administrative Coordinator Adam Payne said that, based on the events of the last two years, he was not surprised by Monday night’s vote.

“There appeared to be a real reluctance to consider the North 23rd Street site”, he said.

Payne questioned why the city of Sheboygan approached the county about the site to begin with, and why the city negotiated with the county over the parcel at taxpayer expense – as well as commission several studies at taxpayer expense that highly recommended the county parcel – if there was no real intent to build there.

“It’s certainly been one of the more interesting sagas”, he mused.

Payne said the Van Der Vaart property appeared to offer enough space to allow for shared services, which he said remains a priority of county government.

Vander Weele said including the Van Der Vaart parcel as a finalist would allow enough time to complete the value assessment for that property.

Davis said he believed the Van Der Vaart site would eliminate itself.

“A good percentage of aldermen like the Van Der Vaart site,” he acknowledged. “It’s just the purchase price I don’t like. I think the police station should be built at City Hall.”

However, Vander Weele indicated that the Van Der Vaart site would prove to be the least expensive.

Davis contended that a new station could be built for $10 million – far less than the $17 million cap recommended by the Finance Committee. He said he was opposed to delaying the project, despite an effort to do just that by other aldermen.

“The current police station is not a good situation,” Davis said. “It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”

Almost forgotten in the jousting over location is the reason for building a new station. Safety is considered the main factor, as suspects under arrest must use the same restroom as the general public. Lack of space is also cited as a prime reason.

If City Hall is chosen, the initial plan is to build an addition on the north side of the building in the location of a parking lot presently used by the Sheboygan Police Department. Because the city already owns the land, there would be no purchase price included in the overall costs. Graf said he was confident the Common Council could maintain momentum on a new police station.

“I firmly believe that by October we’ll have it narrowed down to one site”, he said.