HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.06.22 Work Session Minutes City of Farmington
City Council Work Session Minutes
September 6, 2022
1. Call to Order
Mayor Hoyt called the work session to order at 5:00 p.m.
Present: Hoyt, Lien, Porter, Wilson
Absent: Bernhjelm
Also Present: Lynn Gorski,City Administrator;Julie Flaten,Assistant City Administrator/HR
Director; Chris Regis, Finance Director;Gary Rutherford, Police Chief;Jim
Constantineau, Deputy Police Chief,Andy Bellows, Sergeant; Kellee Omlid, Parks
and Recreation Director; Peter Gilbertson, IT Director;Cynthia Muller,
Administrative Assistant
John McNamara and Jenna Pinkney, Wold Architects
2. Approve Agenda
MOTION by Wilson, second by Porter to approve the agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED.
3. Discussion Items
a. Police Department Space Needs Evaluation
A tour of the police facility was conducted. Concerns are with lack of space and
building configuration. In the lobby, there is a privacy issue. More separation is
needed between administration and records area. Offices are too close to the open
administration area. 360 Communities also has an office in the police facility. Patrol
officers share cubicles. The day shift spends more time in the office doing reports
than the night shift. It's important for officers to have their own space for their own
items and working conditions. A significant issue is with the investigation area.
People are brought through a secure area to get to the interview room. It would be
ideal to have interview rooms off the lobby. A suspect could hear confidential
information while walking through the secure area. One interview room is next to
the break room and is not very soundproof. The conference room is too small for
emergency operations training. The evidence room needs to be more secure and
better temporary evidence lockers are needed. The armory room does not have
good ventilation. There are no changes needed to the booking and holding area.
There are 11 patrol vehicles containing valuable equipment and we can't keep all of
them inside. A larger garage is needed. The exercise room has no more space for
additional equipment. We are simply out of space in this facility and there is no
place to put additional people.
Mr.John McNamara, Wold Architects, explained Farmington's population has
doubled since this facility was built in 2002. Staff members toured facilities in
Cottage Grove, Minnetonka and New Hope to get ideas of what other facilities have.
The police vehicles need to be protected with added garage space. There is a big
concern with vehicles and the equipment inside being kept outside in extreme
Council Work Session Minutes
September 6,2022
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temperatures and they need to be kept inside. We need to more than double the
size of the current facility. Mr. McNamara reviewed various areas and square
footage needed.
The proposed plan would have a 2024 construction cost of$10,300,000; soft costs of
$2,900,000; with a total project cost of$13,200,000. This includes the fencing
around the perimeter of the property. ARPA funding is not included in this amount.
The plan includes a full renovation of the core area, tear out the garage and fitness
area and redo them. Save some offices, but most would be renovated. It would be
substantially higher cost to demo this facility and rebuild. The office addition of
$2,000,000 and garage of$3,900,000 are the most rigid costs; other renovation
costs are more fluid. A new facility would cost approximately$14.4 million vs $10.3
million for a renovation and addition. A renovation would be a construction
nightmare for 12 months. If we have a new footprint to the east,that would take six
to seven months. Current plan costs are $400/sf with an 8%contingency included.
Some materials may require advance ordering. If we phase the project and have to
pre-order material, there could be multiple bid packages. We need to determine
phasing and delivery method.
Financing would be through G.O. capital improvement bonds and subject to reverse
referendum. It would need 5%of the total voters from the most recent general
election to pass. With a 20-year bond, the first payment would be in 2024; the
annual bond payment would be $904,203. ARPA funds would be used for this entire
bond payment so there would be zero additional tax levy implication in 2024. In
2026 and 2027, $518,153 is in the CIP for public safety expansion so there would be
an additional tax levy of$386,050. In 2028, the CIP includes$518,153;the city hall
bond will be paid off in 2027, so the $607,000 debt payment is no longer needed.
The next step is to start the design phase in the next one to two months and that
could take six to eight months.
4. Adjourn
MOTION by Wilson, second by Porter to adjourn at 6:46 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED.
Respectfully submitted,
Cynthia duller
Cynthia Muller
Administrative Assistant