Mount Prospect trustee urges caution over mounting debt
Mount Prospect's march toward a new police and fire station has been on the fast track since the release of a space needs study in November.
By next week, the village board is expected to approve the first of three bond issues to help turn buildings at 799 Biermann Court and 111 E. Rand Road into new police and fire headquarters, respectively.
But for one member of the village board, the process is moving too fast. At Tuesday's committee-of-the-whole meeting, Trustee Paul Hoefert delivered an impassioned plea for the board to slow down and sounded alarms about the debt the village is about to incur.
Hoefert also was critical of what he called a lack of effort to inform residents and get their input.
"The public awareness is really low," he said. "You may think everybody in town knows about this. They don't."
Officials say the two projects will cost about $40 million - about $29.6 million for the police headquarters and $10.4 million for the fire station.
According to Hoefert, the village's debt will grow from $50 million to $111 million with the projects and other work funded by planned bond issues.
"(This) belongs to all the people of Mount Prospect. And portions of it are going to be with us for 25 years," he said. "So the young families that are here today will be empty nesters by the time we pay off all of that debt."
Hoefert has been alone on the village board in trying to slow the process.
Mayor Arlene Juracek emphasized the need to take quick action because of the pressures of the real estate market.
"In terms of specific properties that have been put on the market, yeah, you do have to kind of move quickly on those kinds of things," she said.
Trustee Colleen Saccotelli said the existing police station, with its decaying parking deck and cramped quarters, is an unacceptable work environment for officers.
"Trustee Hoefert talks about the tolerance of our citizens. I believe that they will be very tolerant of better service levels and having a station that shows respect for our officers, and the concern for not only the safety of our residents, but our staff as well," she said. "The place that they are working in now is unacceptable, and so something does have to be done."
Trustee William Grossi said the village needs to take advantage of low interest rates.
"Waiting another six months to a year, we may be paying another three-quarters of a point in interest," he said.
On Monday, the village's finance commission recommended the village the purchase of the buildings on Biermann Court and Rand Road. While acknowledging the speed at which the village was moving, commission Chairman John Kellerhals said the need to secure the buildings and low interest rates makes it necessary.