The Galena City Council voted on first reading Sept. 8 to approve the purchase of 11422 West Chetland Lane for use as a new police station, with the ordinance explicitly made subject to two independent appraisals. The motion passed by roll call with a majority of council members voting yes.

Councilmembers said the move responds to longstanding concerns about the current downtown police facility; council discussion and city staff indicated the existing station has structural and safety issues. The purchase is preliminary: the council limited the action to a first reading and appraisal condition while staff pursue additional information.

Why it matters: Council and staff said the current police building is in poor condition and that a turnkey property could allow the department to relocate more quickly than building new. Neighbors and other residents told the council they only recently learned about the proposal and want more time, information and community input before a final sale.

Residents’ concerns and questions dominated the public comment period. Susan Bookless, who said she lives at 11420 West Chetland Lane and shares a driveway with the parcel under consideration, said the city had not engaged neighbors in advance and asked the council not to approve the contract at tonight’s meeting. “Please no vote no on this real estate contract today to get the community time for due diligence,” Bookless said. Neighbors raised safety concerns about increased vehicle traffic, the shared driveway, potential noise and the parcel’s current “limited agricultural” zoning.

Speakers also asked procedural questions: whether the parcel had been appraised, how the city determined price relative to assessed value, whether a real estate agent was hired in the open, and why the purchase was not in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan or the fiscal 2026 budget. Rachel Lemstra noted the parcel’s tax bill lists a fair cash value of about $310,000 and asked why the city would consider paying substantially more without public appraisal information.

Council discussion described the purchase as an opportunistic property availability that city staff believed merited preliminary review. One councilmember said the parcel is “move-in ready” and could reduce renovation costs compared with building new; another said the council should pause to ensure transparency and to answer neighbors’ zoning and appraisal questions. The mayor and city staff said the purchase remains contingent on appraisals and has not been finalized.

Formal action: The council approved the first reading of an ordinance approving the purchase of 11422 West Chetland Lane subject to two appraisals. The vote was recorded by roll call and the motion carried on first reading; further readings and any final sale would require subsequent council action and completion of the appraisal condition.

Next steps and context: City staff said they will obtain the two appraisals and return to the council with additional information on zoning, budget treatment and potential mitigations (including driveway screening or fencing) and noted that public facilities may be allowable in multiple zoning districts under the city code. The council did not adopt a final purchase contract tonight and emphasized the item is not yet final.