Public Safety committee sends police station site study, cost estimates to Village Board

Germantown’s Public Safety Committee directed staff to present site options and high-level cost comparisons for a new police station to the Village Board, after extended discussion about building on the former Public Works site, renovating the current facility or acquiring a new parcel.

Committee members stressed the need for more detailed information before committing to major borrowing. Multiple trustees asked for a side-by-side cost comparison that includes: rebuilding on the existing police station site, constructing on the former Public Works (DPW) site and acquiring a third parcel with existing water and sewer. Discussion repeatedly referenced an estimate of roughly $2,300,000 to extend sewer and water to the DPW site and a public comment figure that the total build cost could be about $31,000,006 (resident-cited figure; committee asked that exact totals be clarified by staff).

Trustees and staff discussed prior studies and site-analysis work the village completed a year earlier, including heat maps of calls and initial site-feasibility work. Trustee comments included requests for updated heat maps of police calls to guide location decisions. Design pros and cons were debated: some trustees argued for locking down a location first and then designing a building to fit; others preferred a cost comparison of multiple sites before choosing a specific parcel.

After discussion, the committee voted to forward the matter to the Village Board "without a recommendation" and requested staff provide cost estimates, a recap of prior work, and a list/map of parcels for sale that meet department needs. The committee did not authorize any immediate borrowing or design contract; it asked the Village Board to direct next steps and, if necessary, authorize further engineering or site analyses.