Addison staff to present ordinance for May bond election after council backs $55M recommendation

Addison’s City Council heard detailed plans on Feb. 3 from the bond advisory committee and staff about replacing or renovating the town’s 43‑year‑old police and courts facility and directed staff to bring an ordinance calling a May bond election for up to $55,000,000.

Deputy City Manager Paschen Hayes summarized the committee’s work, its charge to assess options and its recommendation: put a bond proposition before voters in May to fund either a remodel, a new build at the current site or acquisition and adaptation of another building, with a not‑to‑exceed amount of $55,000,000. Chief of Police Chris Friess described two conceptual approaches — renovating the existing structure or pursuing new construction — and outlined a tentative schedule that would aim for construction to begin in October 2027 and for the facility to be operational in 2029 following a successful election.

The council’s finance briefing, led by Chief Financial Officer Steven Glickman, showed comparisons with recent DFW police projects and explained how escalation and contingency assumptions affect the $55 million figure. Glickman said the budget examples include escalation and contingency to reflect inflation and project unknowns; staff explained that approximately $2.9 million was used as a placeholder for potential land acquisition and that owner contingency lines of roughly 7 percent are included in the presented totals.

Council members pressed staff on specific cost drivers: subsurface/geotechnical risk that can sharply affect foundation costs; the high price of hardened facilities (ballistic glazing, redundancy of HVAC/electrical systems); whether comparable projects included jails or indoor ranges; and large line items such as a canopy estimated at roughly $3.7–$3.8 million for some site options. Presenters said some comparable projects did include small jails or ranges but most did not, and that special elements (jails, dispatch centers, storm shelters) materially increase per‑square‑foot costs.

Council debate centered on two choices: ask voters for the bond amount the advisory committee recommended (the $55 million figure, which some members called appropriately conservative) or present a smaller amount and return later for supplemental funding if required. Staff emphasized that calling a bond authorization does not mean selling all bonds immediately; the town would issue debt as needed (for example, design debt in 2026 and construction debt later). Staff also said that additional design and procurement work will be done before sale of bonds and that the town would not issue the full principal until it has firmer contract numbers.

On the timing question, several council members said calling the May election reduces exposure to escalation (one councilmember estimated a November delay would add roughly $1.9 million at current escalation assumptions), while others said a November election could provide more time to refine options such as land swaps with the airport. After discussion, staff said they would return at the council’s regular meeting next Tuesday with an ordinance to call a May election for up to $55,000,000 and council gave direction to proceed.

What happens next: staff will prepare the proposed ordinance and additional project detail for the council packet next week; any final bond proposition to be placed on the ballot would be subject to the council’s formal vote on that ordinance.