Issue 1

Expand Borough Hall to Meet Space Needs of Police

I support the construction of additional building space at Borough Hall for the use of the Borough's Police Department.

According to the Borough Charter, the Mayor is the sole civilian supervisor of the Police Department. In January, Mayor Dick Yoder and Police Chief Scott Bohn submitted to Borough Council a Master Concept Plan prepared by Kimmel Bogrette Architects that outlined two options. Both provided for reconfiguring the interior space and for exterior construction. (The report may be reviewed by contacting the Police Department.)

I fully support Mayor Yoder and the Department in their recommendation that Borough Hall be renovated and expanded to afford ample space for our Police Force of today and of the next twenty years. The facility was planned a generation ago for 32 Police officers. With the growth of the area, the increase in nightlife in our town center and the need to provide Homeland Security, the Force now numbers 46, and more are needed.

The Police facilities are cramped and space for storage and equipment is inadequate. This condition impacts victims, witnesses and juveniles who are being interviewed by the police. The inadequate space jeopardizes the safety of those handling prisoners and more holding cells are needed to avoid dangerous situations.

But the most pressing need in my mind is to add space for the sake of the Police themselves. They should not be made to work in cramped areas. To some extent, it can be said that their working conditions are actually substandard. This is intolerable. Fortunately, their professionalism leads our Police to fulfill their duties admirably. We need to make the commitment now to support the current proposal so that delay does not result in circumstances that would lessen future Police capacity.

I support Option 1 of the Plan which calls for two story exterior construction whereas Option 2 provides only for one story exterior construction with a second story to be added at a later date. My experience tells me that it would be engaging in false economy not to build both stories while the workers and equipment are on the site. Needless to say, the $3.5 to $4.6 million estimated cost for this project is of utmost significance to consider in going forward. Borough Government must both protect the taxpayers from unreasonable costs and financing while concurrently providing those same taxpayers with adequate Police protection. That is the challenge that I pledge to meet as Mayor along with the Members of Borough Council.