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Staff writer

In effort to balance the needs and desires of the future, the St. Francis City Council Nov. 16 heard what it should be planning for when it comes to the police department.

According to a space needs study by Professional Design Group, the police department should have 14,969 gross square feet.

The recommended space was a lot higher, but it was trimmed down to only address the needs of today and allow for some future growth, said Miles Britz of the Professional Design Group.

The estimated cost of the project is more than $2.9 million.

The study looked at current operations as well as potential future needs, Britz  said.

The recommended space includes a public lobby/reception area; administration area; investigators office; squad room; interview rooms, conference rooms, patrol room; evidence storage; training room; armory for secured weapons; detention/booking area; evidence garage and sally port; an area for assisting agencies, such as county sheriff and state patrol; indoor squad parking for six to eight cars; staff locker room with showers; and vehicle impound garage for 10-12 vehicles.

The department needs to have on-site secured storage of impound vehicles, secured parking for officers’ personal vehicles and dedicated space for future expansion of indoor squad parking, said Britz.

The study also looked at ways to lay out the building on the same campus as the future public works building.

The space study identifies the potential property for the public works building as the 6.65 acres the city owns adjacent to the wastewater treatment facility, near Highway 47 and 227th Avenue.

If the police department was added to the site, the city will need to buy additional land, Britz said.  

Councilmember LeRoy Schaffer said the cost was too much.

“You have brought us the Cadillac. Is there a Chevy revision,” Schaffer said.

This is the Chevy Impala version, according to Britz. “It meets the police department needs of today with a little extra room for future needs,” said Britz.

“The police department needs a lot of tools and space to conduct its business and keep records.”

The space study was to determine department needs. “The current building was built too small when it was built in 1991,” said Mayor Jerry Tveit.

“We wanted a Chevy but got a (Ford) Pinto.”  

When the current facility was constructed, it was built only for the needs of the time with no room to expand, Tveit said.

Within five years both the fire and police departments, which share the building, outgrew it, he said.

Tveit said the police department needs a building that meets today’s needs and in 15-20 years for expansion.

The current facility was built too small, said Councilmember Tim Brown.

“If the council had done (its) job at that time, we would not be here now,” he said.

“We got lucky the police station has been able to do the job.”

Over the years, the 2,624 square-foot police department has had numerous re-organizations in an attempt to use the space more efficiently.

The current 9,234 square- foot public safety building, which is located on Bridge Street and houses the police and fire departments, was designed for a six-person police department, said Police Chief Jeff Harapat.

Since then, the police department has doubled in size with 11 members, including two clerical staff.

The department comprises 1,312 square feet of office space, which includes a secretarial room, one office space which is shared by the sergeant, the investigator and the Intoxilyzer machine, a common walk-through area where the officer have their cubicles and the 1,312 square-foot garage.

The garage has become multipurpose over the years, Harapat said.

The records are kept in the garage, there is an evidence locker, three spaces for squad cars, the refrigerator and microwave.

The officers and secretaries prepare their meals in the garage. Officers eat at their desks and the secretaries eat in the fire department training room, Harapat said.

The police department shares 16 parking spaces with the fire department.

There have been times when cars have been blocked in by firefighters responding to fire calls, Harapat said.

Nearly three years ago Harapat had to move his office to city hall because there is no room for him at the police station.

“We keep squeezing (people and equipment) in,” he said. “There is no more room to squeeze. There is only so much space in a box. The box is well overfilled.”

The city began saving for the anticipated police department in 2007. To date, it has $30,000 saved.

Tammy Sakry is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it