Public hearing Monday on new $44.7 million Norwich police station
Aug. 18—NORWICH — The City Council will hold a public hearing Monday on a proposed $44.75 million bonding ordinance to build a new city police station and will decide whether to forward the measure to voters in a Nov. 7 referendum.
The hearing will be held shortly after the start of Monday's 7:30 p.m. meeting in Council Chambers at City Hall. The council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance immediately following the public hearing, and later in the agenda vote on a resolution to place the question on the November referendum ballot.
The proposal does not include a proposed site for a police station. Police Chief Patrick Daley said city officials will review locations previously identified in a study of possible sites, but he could not discuss specifics, as some sites could be privately owned.
"I'm looking forward to this moving forward," Daley said Friday. "It's needed. I understand the cost factor. I hope people understand we need it, and there's a cost to not doing it."
Voters in 2012 soundly rejected a $33 million plan to convert the former Sears building downtown into a police station. Three years later, city leaders rejected bids from private developers for a leased police headquarters.
Once a bonding question is placed on the referendum ballot, city officials are restricted from using city resources to advocate either for or against the issue. But Daley said he would be willing to speak with any city or civic group to explain the proposal and answer questions.
The proposed facility would include a community room, training classrooms, emergency operations center, main desk, dispatch center, areas for the public, lockers, prisoner processing and detention, evidence processing, forensic lab, administration, conference rooms, prisoner transport facility, armory, computer and technology areas, furniture, parking and electric vehicle charging stations.
The $44.75 million also would include potential property acquisition and demolition costs.
The proposal has been endorsed unanimously by the Commission on the City Plan and the three aldermen who serve on the City Council Public Safety Committee.
Norwich voters also will decide in a referendum whether to bond $6 million for road and bridge improvements. Residents have approved roadwork bonds in the past, typically for $5 million, but Mayor Peter Nystrom said this year's request is higher due to inflation and materials cost.
