Safety Center Financing, Dundas Police Protection on Northfield City Council Agenda

Discussions impacting Northfield’s police and fire services are on tap at tonight’s City Council meeting.

Items on the council's agenda include a funding plan for a new —a facility that would house the police and fire departments—and a proposal for Northfield Police officers to provide law enforcement in

Concerning financing for a new PSC, the council must deal with a motion made at the Oct. 4 regular meeting on how to pay for construction. Specifically, what is the maximum amount of would the city use to pay for the facility.

CIP bonds are used to finance public works projects and are paid for by city property owners.

Councilors have discussed using a maximum of $8 million in CIP bonds for the new safety center. The remaining cost of the 42,000 square-foot facility, which has been estimated at about $10.7 million, could be paid for with a $500,000 contribution from the, $1 million in cash from city account balances and potential donations from St. Olaf and Carleton colleges.

One cost-cutting option to be considered by the council is reducing the size of the new center by 6,000 square feet, which would save an estimated $1 million in initial construction costs.

Selecting a financing plan is the second step in the council’s drive to jumpstart the safety center project. For some time, the council has been deliberating the size, scope and location for a new PSC, which would replace the city’s current safety center at the intersection of Fifth Street and Hwy. 3/19.

During their Oct. 4 meeting, councilors directed staff to negotiate with the owners of four potential safety center sites.

Concerning the potential for Northfield to provide police protection to its neighbor to the south, councilors will consider a plan to direct Public Safety Director Mark Taylor to negotiate a contract for police services with Dundas.

Dundas city leaders have talked about eliminating their city’s police department to reduce costs.

If an accord can be reached between the two cities, Northfield would provide 24-hour, seven-day-a-week police protection to Dundas for $66,532 less per year than the city currently spends for a reduced patrolling schedule. Northfield would hire a patrol sergeant and police officer to handle the increased work load.

WANT TO GO TO MEETING?

WHEN: 7 p.m. today

WHERE: Northfield City Hall

WHO: Open to the public