Roman Forest council authorizes RFP for modular police building

The Roman Forest City Council voted to authorize the city engineer to prepare plans and specifications and to advertise a request for proposals for a modular police station. Councilman Rezner moved the measure and Councilman Davis seconded; the motion passed in a unanimous roll call.

Chief of police presented several prefabricated building options and procurement pathways, saying the proposals "look like it's going to fit within budget." Council and the city attorney discussed procurement rules, noting that competitive bidding generally applies above the city's threshold but that SLURF funds and earmarked donations can create exceptions that still require a public RFP or request for proposals. The chief said the department planned two separate bid packages: one for the modular units themselves and a second for local contractors to perform site tie‑ins (plumbing, electrical, ramps).

Council and staff agreed on a timeline that would allow vendors to submit alternate approaches to meet a stated floor‑plan and space requirements, and to give council members time to review proposals before any award. The vote authorized advertisement for bid and directed staff to return to council for contract award decisions.

The chief also flagged operational details to be addressed in the RFP: ADA ramps or lifts, single‑point utility connections, generator and electrical options, and whether refurbished versus new modular units would be considered. On funding, staff said the project would be financed from SLURF funds and donated money designated for the police building; the transcript records those funding sources but specific dollar amounts were discussed with some ambiguity in the audio and are therefore not stated here.

Next steps: engineer prepares the RFP package and distributes it to council for review; council will consider awards following the RFP evaluation process.