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West Palm Beach outlines police HQ remediation plan; board approved at least $6 million, staff expects higher costs
Summary
City staff reported completed roof and HVAC valve repairs, ongoing HVAC refurbishments and UV installations, and section-by-section interior remediation at the police headquarters; the board previously approved $6 million as baseline for remediation but staff said full costs are expected to exceed that amount and interior work will continue through coming months.
City officials on Tuesday provided a technical update on remediation work at the West Palm Beach Police Department headquarters, describing completed roof repairs, HVAC fixes and an ongoing multi-phase interior remediation program after repeated moisture and mold issues were identified.
Assistant City Administrator Jose Luis Rodriguez said crews repaired or replaced failing roofing areas, applied a high-performance silicone coating with a 10-year weathertight warranty, replaced failing HVAC drainage valves and began phased refurbishment of HVAC units (two already underway, about 11 more to be refurbished). Staff also are installing ultraviolet sanitation lights in HVAC systems; Rodriguez said that component is expected to be completed by Feb. 26, 2026, and that interior remediation and reconstruction will continue in sections and is expected to extend through August (year per staff timeline references).
Rodriguez said independent remediation and testing contractors (named in the presentation as BELFOR and an independent mold inspector) are conducting continuous airborne testing; staff reported about 95% of air-quality samples over the prior months returned normal results and that areas with abnormal readings are cordoned, remediated, re-tested and cleared before staff return.
Commissioners asked whether remediation extends the building's useful life and whether the building can accommodate planned staffing growth. City administration and the police chief said remediation should extend the building's life and the department currently has sufficient operational space; Chief Tony Araujo said the department will reconfigure furniture and move training functions to a future training facility to free space. Staff also said earlier feasibility work on a new police facility produced a rough estimate near $100 million and warned that city reserves would be insufficient to pay the full cost without borrowing.
Budget and health concerns: Administrator Johnson and other staff confirmed the board previously approved $6 million for remediation but said final remediation costs are expected to exceed that figure; staff committed to return with precise cost updates. Commissioners raised employee-health concerns and asked for details on processes for reporting health incidents; staff said occupational health/risk-management procedures exist and independent experts, not the city, make relocation recommendations. Rodriguez defended the safety protocol: abnormal zones are sealed, remediation follows best practices and no independent expert has recommended a full department relocation.
What's next: staff said exterior sealing and window-work scopes are being developed by engineers with tentative contractor work to begin in February, with additional interior remediation phased through the summer. Administration proposed using the 10-year warranty window to pause long-term capital decisions until a deliberate financing plan for a potential new building, should the board choose that route, is developed.
Quotes (attributed): "By spending this money, you are extending the life of the building," Assistant City Administrator Jose Luis Rodriguez said. "We have not lapsed in service delivery for one second, nor will we," Chief Tony Araujo said. "Fifty years ago decisions were made in a different context," Mayor said when framing the city's choice to remediate now.
Limitations and authority: staff provided contract and warranty details, timelines for HVAC/UV installation and interior remediation, and a high-level back-of-envelope estimate for a new building; no formal procurement or bid award was executed during the work session.
