Petition to Build a New Police Station: New Price, New Location

Dear BI City Council Members, What more proof do you need that the citizens of this island don't want a $15 million police station next to city hall? Will it take a 90% no vote on the next ballot? It's time for you to think about a real alternative to your proposed facility--something better located and less expensive.

Clearly a new police facility is overdue; however the absence of clarity on the process & the choices made to date is disturbing. As to the proposed "North of City Hall" site, why would we pay to get involved in an environmental clean up?

Please heed the voters' rejection of the site next to city hall and move on to a more desirable site for the badly needed new police building.

The community is not confused. Our vote was intended to advise the city council that we do not want a "Winslow Campus" for our city government. Even if the city is able to condemn the property and get it "free," and can get DOE help with cleaning up the contamination, it still does not change the fact that the location for a court, jail, and police cars is not safe or wanted in a residential and pedestrian friendly area across the street from a preschool. City Council should listen to the people they serve and to the professional consultants they hired and choose another site. Debbie Vancil

I belive the site where the current police is a great location to put the new station near the ferries and 305

I support a new police facility but the City's proposal is not practical. I am offended that their response is assume that the voters did not understand the issue. I think the overwhelming defeat of this measure has demonstrated that we DO UNDERSTAND, we simply DO NOT APPROVE.

If the city of Pasco with a police force of 80 is building a new facility significantly larger than what is planned for B.I. on city owned land for approx. $7mil then B.I. should be able to build a smaller facility for its 28 member force for considerably less than $15mil at a location acceptable to island residents and taxpayers.

build it at the current loaction

If you truly support a new police station which is absolutely needed to be completed in a timely and cost effective manner, you do not blindly commit to a polluted toxic site with as yet unknown costs and extended delays to attempt if you attempt to clean up the site.

I'm disappointed that the Council has not shown more fiscal responsibility about this issue.

why do we have to do this when we already voted?

we will be watching.

Let's consider a combination of workforce housing and public services, we could improve housing options and potentially lower the overall cost by creatively building a community-centered town square at the site of the current station.

Not sure why my profile says "Bremerton"...tried to change it to B.I. in this system it doesn't take. Never lived in Bremerton, lived on B.I. 10+ years.

We can do better on price and location.

It is appalling that the Council and City Manager would consider going against the will of the people. The margin of defeat is astounding. How loud does the message need to be before you will drop this ridiculous notion that we should become involved in the chain of ownership and a lawsuit waiting to happen? Have you learned nothing from previous COBI errors? The Police Chief and officers do not prefer the location you've deemed superior, leaving the citizens to question the true motives of this horrendously bad choice. Heed the butt-whooping you received on Prop 1, and stop wasting time. Our officers deserve better, the public would have approved this proposal if it was a viable location and had been accompanied by an honest presentation of the facts. Shame on you for considering moving forward with the acquisition of the toxic property that's smaller than the current police facility lot and shoehorned into a cramped location. Previously done studies that the public paid for were ignored, which is now coming back to bite you in the posterior. You are public servants, act accordingly.

The council is so out of step with the public on this issue. One wonders how they can be sold/committed on a plan that is so obviously flawed.

We citizens recognize that a new police station is long overdue and we want our police force to have the right building in the right place at a not-outrageous price...or the best possible version of that scenario. I personally think it is very important that Police Chief Hamner be allowed to speak freely from his expertise and from his heart in an open manner about what he really thinks is best for his force and for the community regarding this very important issue - without any pressure, coercion or threat from city hall. I'd also be interested in what everyone else in the police dept. org chart thinks about this issue (perhaps anonymously, or not) - they are our boots on the ground serving this community and they have an inside perspective that most of us can't even begin to guess at (the issue of access to the highway or the effect of traffic on their response times are but a couple of examples). I'd vote for an appropriately-sited, safe, clean, approved by our police dept., reasonably-or-even-slightly-above priced facility that would serve them well and would serve the community well in a heartbeat. I'd even kick in a little extra personally.

We do NOT want to spend this amount of money!

The Council’s original decision was a poor one, and the contamination issue only multiplied the error. When the current City Hall was built, maybe wise heads could have planned for the future of a City “campus” but that chance is long gone. Let’s admit it and move on to a decision that works now for a reasonable location and a price that makes sense. Do we need a new police station? Yes, but not next to City Hall and not at this out-of-line price. Is a facility co-located with the Fire Department a far better idea? Yes, and should have long since been accepted and put into operation. Could affordable housing on Bainbridge be a better use of some of these funds? Yes!!!!