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Council presses staff on police crime lab costs, sequencing and equipment needs
Summary
Councilors sought specifics on the proposed police crime lab after staff said design funding exists but construction and specialized equipment will require additional funds; staff plans to issue an RFQ for design and sequence equipment purchases to align with hiring and construction timelines.
The council pressed staff for more detail on the proposed police crime lab during the March 3 CIP workshop, seeking clarity on design funding, construction timing and how equipment purchases would be sequenced.
Staff said the FY27 CIP includes carryover of about $4 million and a proposed $4.5 million in FY27 to support design and early work. Mr. St. John explained the plan is to issue a request for qualifications to secure a design firm and construction manager; design funding is typically about 10% of a project’s construction cost, and staff expects two years of construction once design is complete.
On sequencing, staff noted some high‑cost forensic equipment (DNA sequencers, specialized analyzers) should be purchased near the end of construction so equipment does not sit idle: “you wouldn’t want to buy the DNA equipment two years before you hire the scientist to start doing DNA because that equipment is going to depreciate,” staff said. Council members asked whether leftover bond funds from a recently completed evidence storage project could be reallocated to the crime lab; finance staff said leftover bond funds can be applied to other public safety projects once project closeouts are finalized.
Council asked staff to return with refined cost estimates, an anticipated construction schedule and a plan for staging equipment purchases and staffing so that the crime lab can be fully operational after construction. The council also requested clarity about a roughly $7.5 million funding gap identified in the current CIP out‑year and how bond authority would be obtained to complete the full crime lab scope.
