Northfield public safety center gains traction

After years of study and controversy, Northfield's elected officials once again have voted to issue bonds for a public safety center, this time for a scaled-back version on the south side of town.

The City Council voted 4-2 after a public hearing last week to sell as much as $7.28 million in lease revenue bonds. Such bonds cost a bit more but require no referendum, which would have delayed the project. The council first voted on motions to hold a referendum or to sell capital improvement bonds, which allow voters to petition for a referendum. Both motions failed on 3-3 votes.

"I am happy the council has made it clear they believe this project is essential and are confident we can get this project done within that budget and understand the necessity of moving this forward expeditiously," said Mayor Mary Rossing. "This way we can move ahead with the design phase and maybe solicit bids in late winter 2013."

Voting to sell the bonds were Rossing, Ivan Imm, Betsey Buckheit and Erica Zweifel. Opposed were Rhonda Pownell and Suzie Nakazian. Patrick Ganey was absent.

Nakasian, a new member, said she voted no because "I felt we needed to go to the voters with that. It would have given the community a chance to get behind it ... I am confident they would support it."

The council's decision "is a critical step in the process," said City Administrator Tim Madigan. "It sets the platform for the final decision-making for the council." He said project and financing costs will be refined and returned for final approval to the council and city Housing and Redevelopment Authority, which will likely sell the bonds.

The new center will house police and fire department offices and expanded training space, but not fire trucks and other equipment, said Public Safety Director Mark Taylor. He said most fire rigs and equipment will stay at least a few years in the 42-year-old existing public safety building. The four-acre site of the planned safety center has space for a future fire station.

The vote surprised some because the hearing was called to discuss selling capital improvement bonds for the center. But several citizens spoke against that option because it allowed a "reverse referendum," to be held if opponents were to obtain signatures of 398 registered voters, equal to 5 percent of those voting in the last city election. The referendum wouldn't be held until November, delaying the project.

Some residents have objected to the cost. A number, speaking during the public hearing last week, urged the council to let voters decide the issue, said Rick Estenson, chairman of the board of the local chamber of commerce. Estenson, president of Northfield's First National Bank, said he urged the council to hold a public information campaign explaining the clear need to improve public safety facilities and then let people vote.

"We have spent three or four years on various plans and there is a fair amount of confusion," he said. "The council hesitated because of the delay and additional cost, or if it [a referendum] fails," he said. "In their view, essential needs such as safety should not go to a citizen's vote."

An engineering study in the past year found the floors of the old safety center were not strong enough to safely hold all the fire rigs and equipment packed into and between the three bays. So the ladder truck and water and dive rescue vehicles are housed elsewhere, Taylor said. He said the city plans to reinforce the floor so the equipment can be returned to the station.

The bonds pay for land for the center and repairs to the old building, Rossing said. The building sits downtown by the Cannon River and has flooded twice in recent years.

A year ago in February the council approved selling up to $10.9 million in bonds for a combined center for police and fire departments. But a month later, the council stopped the process to allow two new members more time to study costs and possible sites.