Wheatland council moves to explore replacing aging police building after carbon-monoxide incidents and failing systems

Wheatland City Council members directed staff on Thursday to begin negotiations for land and hire an engineer to develop firm cost estimates for replacing the town’s aging police facility after officials described repeated heating system failures and a carbon-monoxide incident.

Brad (police department representative) told the council that on Nov. 28 officers and front-office staff experienced symptoms that prompted a Black Hills Energy response. Technicians “red-tagged” multiple heater units and shut off gas service after detecting elevated carbon-monoxide readings. Brad said one heat-exchange unit was cracked and required full replacement, another unit had safety-limit issues that intermittently allowed carbon monoxide into the building, and two other units later stopped working. Staff have used temporary electric heaters and accepted the sheriff’s department’s offer of warm workspace while the department operates with degraded heating.

Brad and staff also described collapsed underground ductwork, an outdated hot-water heater (installed 2013) leaving several sinks without hot water, roof leaks above the mechanical spaces and weather-damaged support beams. Those failures make short-term fixes costly and leave the building vulnerable to recurring problems, he said.

The council reviewed options: renovate the existing building (including suspended ductwork and roof/structural repairs), retrofit an existing commercial property, or construct a purpose-built facility. Brad summarized rough estimates he collected: installing multiple split (mini‑split) units and supporting electrical work at roughly $55,000–$60,000; replacing HVAC and suspended ductwork at about $35,000–$40,000; and larger remodeling and roof/structural repairs that would add materially to total costs. He said an engineer’s assessment is needed for precise pricing.

As alternatives to renovating the current site, staff described three possibilities: purchasing an existing large commercial parcel (an old Ace Hardware listing with a $700,000 asking price but significant interior work required), converting a smaller medical-clinic property (about $175,000 but too small and lacking parking) and building new on town-owned land near 8th & Gilchrist (a two-story, ~8,000-square-foot concept at roughly $2.4 million at an estimated $300 per square foot). Brad also described a 4.9‑acre parcel at Sherrard & Swanson with an asking price near $160,000; a single-story, ~7,000-square-foot building there was estimated at roughly $2.1 million, bringing the total including land to an estimated $2.3 million.

Brad said the town has discussed co‑locating Wyoming probation and parole and a municipal courtroom, which could create leased office revenue to partially offset financing and operations costs. He also summarized financing options the council discussed, including pursuing a capital construction loan through a state program, using a future bond/tax renewal (the council noted an existing local tax nearing payoff in the coming years), or seeking grants (Brad said grant programs that fully fund new police department construction were not available).

Council members expressed concern about repeatedly investing in an aging stopgap building and appeared to favor pursuing a new, purpose-built solution. With council consensus, members authorized staff to negotiate price on the Sherrard & Swanson lot and to solicit engineering quotes to produce firm cost and scope estimates. Brad said he would also pursue short-term HVAC repairs (including a circuit-panel repair estimated at $250–$500 for one unit) to keep the department functional while studies proceed.

Next steps: staff will pursue land negotiations and obtain engineering estimates and RFQs; the council did not commit to a funding plan and will consider financing options and more detailed cost reports at future meetings.