County weighs $25 million safety-center ask, orders site assessment ahead of special-purpose tax talks

Sheriff (name not specified) told Albany County commissioners that a consultant has been hired and will be onsite next week to conduct a space and site assessment for a potential consolidated public safety center and related detention-center upgrades, part of an anticipated special-purpose tax request. “That company has been hired, and will be on-site next week to start their process,” the sheriff said.

The sheriff described an early county ask of about $25,000,000 for an ACDC expansion and said the site study will examine needs for the sheriff’s office, Laramie Police Department and Laramie Fire Department and evaluate potential sites, including the block near the detention center between Grand and Ivan streets. “The idea for it is that it would consolidate all of our public safety offices into 1 place,” the sheriff said.

The assessment is expected to be completed in roughly three months, with a report available by October or early November that will identify space needs and offer cost and design options. Commissioners and county staff said they intend to use the assessment to shape any joint special-purpose tax (SPET) proposal the county negotiates with the City of Laramie and the Town of Rock River.

Why this matters: the county and city are considering asking voters for SPET revenue to fund multiple capital projects. A consolidated public safety center would change how courts, police, fire and some administrative functions are housed and could affect the county’s capital ask. The sheriff cautioned that relocating the detention center is not part of the current plan: “The detention center is not relocating. We are not relocating the detention center in any way, shape, or form,” he said.

Details discussed during the presentation included: a preliminary county estimate of $25 million for an ACDC expansion; historical comparables that place whole-building estimates for similar joint facilities between roughly $18 million and $28 million; a plan to include potential sheriff’s office needs alongside city and fire needs to avoid presenting multiple separate building asks to voters; and requests for vehicle and equipment replacement (patrol vehicles, search-and-rescue vehicles, and large special-purpose equipment such as a Snowcat or a Haglund-type vehicle). The sheriff noted one recurring cost driver: digital storage for body-worn camera footage.

Commissioners asked about financing, timeline and whether the city will present a separate ballot question. The sheriff said financing has not been negotiated and the assessment should clarify both space needs and more concrete cost estimates. County staff reminded commissioners that the county and city negotiation window is narrow: projects and priorities should be decided before an upcoming joint meeting with city councilors on Aug. 25 so the partners can begin resolving ballot language and structure.

Discussion versus direction: commissioners and staff discussed options for consolidating facilities, the trade-offs of combining city and county asks on one ballot question, and alternatives for reusing space in the detention center. County staff directed that the consultant evaluate existing sites and the detention center’s useful life and report back with recommendations and cost estimates; there was no formal vote or final project authorization in the meeting.

What’s next: commissioners asked staff to return with a prioritized list of county projects at a second August meeting to support negotiations with the city and Rock River. The county will not finalize the SPET ask until after the consultant report and intergovernmental negotiations.