Ex-alderman blasts $33.5M safety building

Former Port Washington Ald. Dave Larson last week told the Common Council that the proposed $33.5 million public safety building is too expensive for the community and warned that aldermen run the risk of losing the support of residents if the police and fire station moves ahead.

“Thirty-five million dollars is an excessive amount of money,” Larson said.

Although the city has trimmed $1.5 million from that original $35 million pricetag, Larson said that when aldermen approved a $33.5 million budget for the new facility on Oct. 17, “I felt as a taxpayer I wasn’t represented here.

“As elected officials, you represent the taxpayers. You don’t represent the city; you don’t represent department heads.”

It’s a feeling he shares with others in his social circle, Larson said, noting they “all feel we’re not being properly represented with this level of taxation. Thirty-five million dollars is just not affordable to taxpayers in Port Washington.”

Larson, who is now an Ozaukee County supervisor, noted that when he served on the Common Council from 2008 to 2018 the city considered building a satellite fire station west of the railroad tracks to ensure coverage if a train blocked the tracks during an emergency.

The cost then, he said, was estimated at between $10 million and $12 million.

“That was a deal killer,” he said. “We said that’s too much of a tax burden to put on the people of Port Washington. We said no.

“If $10 million to $12 million was too much 10 to 12 years ago, $35 million is certainly too much, especially now with everything else going on — inflation through the roof, water rates continuing to go up. You’re piling on.”

Larson also asked how aldermen, who expressed shock at the $35 million initial pricetag, could support $33.5 million.

“At $35 million, most of the people on this board were against the amount or at least questioned it,” he said. “I really thought this was on the path to not happening.

“At $35 million it was a no go, but at $33.5 million ... only a 3-1/2% decrease and you went from I don’t want to do this to yes we can do this. The impact (of the cost reduction) to taxpayers is negligible at that point.”

Aldermen need to look at other options, Larson said, including adapting the current police and fire stations.

“I think there are other options we can look at,” he said. “If we need more room at the Police Station, why don’t we add on?

“I think we’re ramming this through too quickly. We haven’t looked at any other proposals.”

Aldermen last month approved a $33.5 million maximum budget for the public safety building, which is to be constructed at the corner of highways LL and 33 on the city’s west side.

The new building is needed because the current police and fire stations are inadequate, officials have said.

The fire station is overcrowded, isn’t handicapped accessible and lacks accommodations for women and paramedics who will be working around the clock and need a place to sleep, they said.

The police station is also inadequate, both in terms of space and infrastructure, they said.  Ventilation isn’t adequate, nor is the garage, and there isn’t enough space — and proper spaces — for everything from offices to interview rooms, and the layout is not conducive to police operations.

The Common Council approved a $33.5 million budget for the new building last month, a move Mayor Ted Neitzke said was the final approval needed.

However, most aldermen said the final approval won’t come until bids are in.

“I don’t think that necessarily means we move forward with the project,” Ald. Jonathan Pleitner said of the budget approval. “It means we’re OK with spending $33.5 million for the building.

“I think we all genuinely like the project and see the needs. But until we see hard and fast bids come in, we won’t ultimately know what it will cost. If they come in at $38 million, that’s a whole different thing.”

Ald. Pat Tearney, who was absent when the budget for the building was set, said he’s not sure if that was the final vote but added that the 6-0 vote makes it likely the project will proceed unless the bids come in too high.

“I would not think it’s a done deal, but given the overwhelming majority of the vote, it’s extremely likely,” he said, adding he would have voted against the budget because of its impact on taxpayers.

Ald. Paul Neumyer said, “essentially, it’s a done deal. The only thing that could block the project is if bids come in over (the budget) that’s set.”

Ald. Dan Benning concurred, saying, “I don’t know why we would put the brakes on unless the bids come in above what we set. I don’t like what it costs, but so much stuff has been let go for so long. There’s nothing cheap anymore.”

If the city were to only build the fire station now and wait to construct a police station, Ald. Mike Gasper said, “It’s going to be a big ticket item again.”

Gasper, who said approval of the borrowing and bids will be the final approval for the project, said the city did look at such things as adding a second floor to the police station, something he said would be difficult and expensive, and building a satellite firestation, which would still necessitate an expensive renovation of the current building.

“We’re at the point where our facilities are not adequate,” he said. “A lot of the projects we’re running into right now is deferred maintenance, and unfortunately all the bills have come due at the same time.”