Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Adoption topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rexburg staff outline police-station bond plan; town halls and outreach scheduled
Summary
City CFO and staff presented a plan and timeline for a proposed police station bond, including land closing, cost estimates due mid-July, public open houses July 10 and a town hall July 16, and municipal adviser engagement with Zions Bank.
City finance and project staff on June 25 told the Rexburg City Council they are advancing planning for a new police facility and a possible bond question for public consideration, and they outlined public outreach and next steps.
Matt Nielsen, chief financial officer, told council members construction cost estimates tied to square footage should be available for the council’s July 16 meeting. Nielsen said the city expects to close on property for the new facility (on Pioneer Road) around July 8 and that he and staff are working with a construction manager/general contractor and the architect to develop an estimated project cost.
Nielsen said the city has roughly $13 million in liquid reserves and that water and sewer reserves may fall as planned infrastructure work progresses. He warned that major water and wastewater projects can require “$10, $12, $15,000,000” scale spending and that project timing influences budgeting choices.
The city has engaged Zions Bank as a municipal financial adviser to help forecast interest rates and craft ballot language. Staff proposed a public communications plan that includes an insert in the utility newsletter, a police-station website, social media posts and two public events: a walk-through open house at the current station on July 10 and a city council town hall with consultants and staff on July 16.
Mayor and city legal staff cautioned elected officials and city employees to avoid advocating for passage; they said outreach should focus on education and legal compliance. The mayor said the council and staff owe the public precise information about costs and process.
If the council chooses to place a bond question on a ballot, staff said the city will need to pass ordinance language and meet county election deadlines; an August 28 drafting deadline for ballot wording was cited as a timeline constraint if the city sought the November ballot. Staff said a November placement is unlikely; May of the following year or later is more realistic.
City staff also said they will use the utility bill insert and the city app for information distribution and continue to refine cost estimates before the council considers final ballot language.
