Bartlett board to begin talks on new police station
The Bartlett village board on Tuesday will discuss what to do with the town's 21-year-old police station, which officials say needs repair and is too small for the department's staff.
Bartlett Village President Kevin Wallace says work on the 21,677-square-foot building is long overdue.
"The police department is just too small to house the number of sergeants we have," Wallace said. "We have four to five sergeants per cubicle, jammed in there with no windows."
The village board began a search in April for architects to conduct a study on the building and help determine how much space the police department needs. Wallace said the study will help village leaders decide whether to build a new police station or expand on the existing station at 228 S. Main St.
From the 13 firms that made proposals to spearhead the project, a selection committee is recommending Itasca-based Williams Architects to conduct Phases 1 and 2 of the study. The committee included Police Chief Kent Williams, deputy chiefs Joseph Leonas and Patrick Ullrich, Public Works Director Dan Dinges and Assistant Village Administrator Paula Schumacher.
Phase 1, which is projected to cost $8,900, would examine the police department's space needs. Then, a $25,600 Phase 2 would evaluate the existing facility and weigh the village's options for expansion or a new building.
If the board approves the project, Wallace said he doesn't expect the funding to fall solely on taxpayers. The village, he said, has money in its building fund and other revenue avenues they can use.
"With the economy turning a little bit, it appears there's more activity as far as construction, so that helps some of the funds," Wallace said.
Bartlett Finance Director Jeff Martynowicz says the exact cost of the project and where the funds will come from is unknown.
Phases 1 and 2 would take about three months to complete. The proposed agreement with Williams Architects does not include the project's planning or construction.