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2002-05 Blair GatewayPRES ORTED ..1- U.S. POSTAGE PAID BLAIR, NEBRASKA PERMIT NO. 47 ZIP C ODE 68008 v ��se ot a 7 Mike Biffar Ward 1 Home 426-5394 115 Caddo { .. k, zs..' Pi S: ali � •. s • ' s By Mick Mines Mayor of Blair or many years, the City of Blair and the Washington County Board have x been concerned about the seriously overcrowded conditions at the Washington County Law Enforcement Center. The Blair Police Department (BPD), Washington County Sheriff's Department (Sheriff), and the County Jail moved into the Law Enforcement Center in 1977. Washington_ County owns the addition to the courthouse. They received a federal grant to construct the facility and the City of Blair leases office space for BPD on a month -to -month basis. Blair and Washington County have changed in 25 years. Drugs, gangs, violence, and related crimes are a problem now, and will become even more prevalent in the future. Local law enforcement must remain proactive and head off crimes before they are committed. The current building restricts officers and staff from doing their jobs effectively. In 1999, the City made a commitment to finally resolve the problem. The City Council's Police & Fire Committee (Jim Realph, Dave Waite, and John Abbott) joined three County Supervisors on a joint task force to develop a comprehensive strategy that would keep the Police and Sheriff in the same building for the foreseeable future. The task force took its first meaningful step in 2000 when they recommended hiring Wilson Estes Police Architects from Kansas City to professionally evaluate the space needs of BPD and the Sheriff. On May 14, Blair voters will decide if the City purchases an existing property, or constructs a new building to house the Blair Police Department. The following questions and answers should help you better understand why the City believes that Blair taxpayers are best served by moving BPD to a new location. In March 1976, the Sheriff had five full -time deputies and BPD had eleven full -time officers. Today, the Sheriff has twenty -two full -time deputies, and BPD is authorized for fifteen full -time officers. Including the jail, and support staff, there are now more than sixty personnel in the facility that was designed for twenty. The Wilson Estes report concluded that the inadequacies of the Washington County Law Enforcement Center compromise confidentiality, safety, security, and personnel productivity. The facility is inadequate to conduct routine law enforcement operations. nee BPD occupies 3,200 square feet in the Law Enforcement Center. According to Wilson Estes, they need 5,400 square feet today to effectively do their job. In 20 years, BPD and the Sheriff would need a combined space of 25,101 square feet. Of that, BPD will need 7,000 square feet. H ow much does Blair pay today for space in the La E n f orcement Center? Washington County leases 3,200 square feet of office space to the City of Blair for about $20,000 a continued on page 3. t nr nv �( ? ems, x ti:w* i -*xw�k t� 1 ,, tact aea`a• #F t It is once again springtime, which means your public works department will again be working on many projects around the city. Below is a partial list of projects that will be done this season. 1. Street repairs. The streets department has made a list of concrete streets that have small areas that need to be removed and replaced. 2. Swimming pool repairs on the deck around the baby pool and main pool, repainting of the pool tub and installation of a new handicapped lift at the pool. 3. Construction of seven blocks of new 6" water mains to replace existing I" water mains. The blocks scheduled are 18th Street from Butler to Davis Streets, Davis Street from 18th to 19th Streets, Nebraska Street from 14th to 16th Streets, Colfax Street from 3rd Street east for 700', Jackson Street from 23rd to 24th Streets and 22nd Street from Jackson to Wright Streets. 4. The utilities department will once again flush and test all fire hydrants around the city to check their working condition and pressures. This allows the utility department to verify the working condition of the hydrant and if any maintenance is needed. There is a tendency for the water to have a rusty look to it during this period. All that needs to be done is run the water through your faucet until it clears. This usually takes a few minutes for the rust color to clear. 5. All water valves will be exercised this year in the city to ensure proper working condition. 6. The southwest portion of the city's sanitary sewer system has been jetted this past winter. 7. The relief sanitary sewer line under construction along Nebraska and 13th Streets is nearing completion. 8. The islands at the intersection of 13th and Washington Streets will have the concrete surfacing removed and landscaping will replace the concrete. This work should be completed in May /June this year. This project is being funded through a grant from the federal government. 9. Jackson Street from 10th Street to just east of Middle school entrance will be widened this year. This project is being funded through the sales tax receipts. 10. 10th Street from Highway 30 to Nebraska Street will be rebuilt and widened to include extensive new storm sewer this summer. This project is being funded through the sales tax receipts. 11. Highway 91 from 20th Street to 25th Street will be overlaid with new asphalt after the old asphalt is ground off. Work on this project is scheduled for June this year. The Nebraska Department of Roads is funding this project. 12. There will be a new sidewalk /bike trail constructed from 11 th and Grant Streets intersection to the bowling alley just east of the railroad tracks. 13. Replacement of storm sewer on Wilbur Street from 16th Street to approx. 500' east. This work is scheduled to be completed in May of this year. This work is funded from the streets budget. 14. We will be installing new variable frequency drives in the west pump station by the west reservoir. This should help in the reliability of the pump station. This work is funded from the water department funds. h a The City of Blair recently received approval of a $308,939.00 federal grant to construct the first phase of the City's proposed trails system. The federal funds will pay 80 percent of the cost, leaving 20 percent local funds. The Papio Missouri River NRD is expected to approve funds to pay 50 percent of the City's local cost. The first phase will extend from areas in the Deerfield subdivision in the Northwest area of Blair to Lion's Park, with a short connection to Arbor School. It is anticipated that - construction will start on the 1.3 -mile trail by October 1, 2002, and be completed by December 1, 2002. Other segments of the proposed trail system currently proposed for construction as part of other construction projects are 10th Street, Railroad to Nebraska, Jackson Street, l 0th Street to 3rd Street, Wilbur Street, 13th Street to 10th Street, Grant Street, 19th Street to Bowling Ailey, Highway 30, and Lincoln Street to Highway 133. City Council Agendab lNow Available ^on the Internet and s _ The City of Blair is now offering information to the public via the Internet and Cable Channel 52. You may access the City of Blair's web site at www.blairnebraska.org. You may also obtain an agenda on the Friday prior to each regular meeting of the Mayor and City Council by contacting City Fall at 218 S. 16th Street, Blair, Nebraska. • a , fir i t � � ,� � a � � tt ��ut 7 ��5� ` � According to the Nebraska State Electrical Act, 81 -2101 to 81 -2145 a well pump installer shall be allowed to connect a submersible well pump and install the pump wiring in the same trench with the water line to the building or structure. No additional wiring shall be done unless he /she is licensed by the State Electrical Board. P ICTURED: Jason Roach of the City Utility Department is pictured installing a new 6" tapping T. The Utilities Department will be installing over 7 blocks of 6" water main this summer, eliminating 1" substandard mains. The new mains will provide improved pressure and flow to the residents, as well as improve fire flow in different parts of the City. �t t } 1 y T ,., G atewa y S } 1 �.`�, :�,. �� „a 7" May }} ? {i E ' �' I a,ii y tv �,.. 1 - PICTURED: Officer Robert "Bob" Leehy is pictured in driveway of old Safeway Building. Voters will decide on May 14th whether to build a new building for the Blair Police Department or purchase the old Safeway Building for use by the Police Department. year. The month -to -month lease is very reasonable because a federal grant originally funded construction of the building. or $2,592,000, because property valuation in Blair represents 28% of Washington County's total valuation. Washington County would also charge BPD about $900,000 for rent, utilities, and operating expenses. sharing, both departments are capable of adjusting to change while maintaining their excellent level of service. Why not simply x n th e current Law The 20 -year cost to Blair taxpayers is $ uil i size -The Safeway building -6,820 square E n f orcement C enter? feet. A new building - 7,000 square feet, A re there other solut ions? The Wilson Estes study proposes three (3) options to expand space atthe Law Enforcement Center by renovating all nonjail areas in the existing structure; expanding offices into the courthouse basement, and building a new addition. Estimated construction costs for the three options are different because each one proposes completing the changes over different periods of time. One option would complete all changes at once for a cost $3,786,259. Another option phases in changes over 10 years for $4,117,91 The third phases in changes over 20 years, and would cost $5,488,021. Wilson Estes recommends a fourth option. They propose building a new joint Law Enforcement Center somewhere else in Blair because it "provides the best long -term solution to all facility problems." The construction cost would be $4,4 55,880. The report went on to say, "There is little to be gained in keeping law enforcement operations with the jail and court facilities." By moving the Law Enforcement Center to a new site, current deficiencies in space at the jail are addressed, while maintaining a reserve of space in the basement of the courthouse for future county needs. What did the City do with the Wilson Estes We agreed that each of the four options would resolve the BPD space needs, but frankly, we felt that each option is too expensive for Blair taxpayers. We asked Committee members Waite, Realph, and Abbott to continue their evaluation. This time, they evaluated options that are in the best interests of BPD and Blair taxpayers, while still achieving 20 -year space requirements defined by Wilson Estes. They returned with two options. The first proposes that the City purchase the Safeway property (building and parking lot) at 127 South 17th Street and renovate the building. The second proposes building a new building at a site yet to be determined. The Committee unanimously recommended that the City purchase the Safeway property and renovate the building. •° - 1 -• • •�•' • = • r�- Our evaluation included the purchase price of the Safeway building and paved 44 -stall parking lot ($395,000), building renovation, new vestibule, and a new roof ($327,000), utilities and operating expenses ($322,000), funding with safety bonds ($450,000), and lost city property taxes by removing the property from the tax role (- $126,300). The estimated costto Blairtaxpayers is $1,367,700. Our evaluation included design and construction of a new 7,000 - square -foot building ($1,095,000), purchase and develop a new site ($225,000), utilities and operating expenses ($322,000), funding with safety bonds ($817,400), and lost city property taxes by removing the property from the tax role (- $67,700). Date foccupancy-The Safeway building could be occupied in 2002. A new building could be occupied in 2004. O f f -street parkin - The Safeway property has a paved parking lot with 44- stalls. 30- stalls would be available for public parking. A new building site has not yet been determined, so off- street parking is not known. Location - The Safeway property is in the center of Blair at 127 South 17th Street. A new building site has not yet been determined, so the location is not known. G arage - The Safeway building has a single stall garage. A new building can have a garage incorporated in the design. B uilding expansion - The Safeway building has available room for expansion to the west and south. A new building can be designed for future expansion. T ech nology -The Safeway building hasfiberoptic communications. The cost to bring fiberoptic technology to a new building is an additional $11,000. It was built in the late 1940s. The age of the building was a consideration, so structural engineers Olsson Associates from Omaha were hired to evaluate the integrity of the building. Their conclusion - the building is sound. A new roof and several Olsson Associates recommendations are included in the total renovation costs to insure that the building remains sound for many more years. Thejoint task force was then directed to evaluate alternatives to the Wilson Estes options. They requested that the City and County contract with HGM Associates, an Omaha architectural firm, to provide an alternative plan to keep BPD and the Sheriff together. They did. HGM proposes the addition of a second story to the current Law Enforcement Center and remodeling the rest of the building. j This is a unique and less expensive approach to solving the space needs. HGM estimates the construction cost would be $3 Although the HGM proposal is $586,000 less than the least expensive Wilson Estes option, we concluded that HGM's proposal is still too expensive. Would the HGM proposal be cost-effective over 20 years? L Fl Washington County owns the current building and would continue to own the new facility. Blair taxpayers would pay 28 percent of 'I'�I all building construction costs and debt funding, The estimated 20 -year cost to Blair taxpayers is $ 2,391,700, ;. Yes. At $3,492,000, the HGM option is the least expensive option that keeps BPD and the Sheriff together. The investment in the Safeway property is $1,367,700 ($2,124,300 less expensive) and a new building is $2,391,700 ($1,100,300 less expensive). Additionally, when BPD moves to a new facility, the Sheriff can expand into the vacated space I n the Law Enforcement Center, thus solving the Sheriff's space problems too. and the Sheriff? These are highly professional departments with highly professional individuals. The relationship between BPD and the Sheriff is very good, and there is no indication that separating these departments will adversely affect this relationship. Through the effective use of today's technology, revised administrative procedures, and database e • The Safeway property and a brand new building would both accommodate the BPD space requirements for the next 20 years. There are strongly differing views on the Council between the Safeway property and a new building, so the Blair voters will make this decision. Council members DaveWaite, Jim Realph, John Abbott, and Frank Wolff supportthe purchase of the Safeway property and renovation of the building. As mayor, I also endorse this option. Council members Tammy McManigal, John Shotwell, Gary Fanoele, and Mike Biffar support construction of a new building. If you have any questions, please contact City Administrator Rod Storm (426 -4191) or any of Blair's elected officials. Th f G a t eway ��,� ,yy. � .,�.,. c� ��`� It y, PI .I,.S 'S $ 5 t t A AR, 1�0 The Blair Cemetery Staff would like to remind its patrons that they may set out decorations for the Memorial Day holiday starting on May 23, 2002, This, however, doesn't include any glass items, which are not permitted forthe holiday observance, as these items may get broken and thus cause a danger to either the staff or other patrons of the cemetery. We would also ask our patrons that they pick up those decorations that were set out by June 3, 2002, Any decorations left out past the June 3rd date will be picked up by the Cemetery staff and discarded. The Cemetery does not allow permanent planting except for peonies, irises, tulips, or other small flowers, and then only located directly north or south of any markers or monuments. Any planting of shrubs or trees are to be done only by the Cemetery staff. If you would like further information as to our rules and regulations please contact our staff at 402-426-5244 or e-mail us at HYPERLINK mailto:PatL@Cl. Blair. NE.US PatL@CI. Blair. NE. US. If you would like to checkout our directory of burials you may stop at our office, or at our outside directory located at our old office located in the center of the Cemetery, but if you would like you can also check us out on the City web site Blair. NE.org and go to the bottom of the page and click on Cemetery Directory. Then type in the name you are looking for, A quick reminder: if you are looking for the whole family, only fill in the last name, This will allow you to pull up everyone by that last name, Pat Long Blair Cemetery and Parks Department Superintendent PICTURED: Lowell Kubie, Dan McMurtry, and Richard Warrick finishing concrete at the Blair Municipal Pool. The City is repairing parts of the pool deck to eliminate any hazards that exist such as cracke or settling concrete. The pool has also been recently repainted by the W.S. Bunch Co. as part of the regular pool maintenance. Prior to the swimming season opening crews will also install a new handicapped lift to make the pool more accessible to everyone. Effective January 1, 2002, all work shall be inspected according to the 1999 NEC Section 210-12 as follows: Dwelling Unit Bedrooms. All branch circuits that supply 125 - volt, single-phase, 15-and 20-ampere receptacle outlets i dwelling unit bedrooms shall be protected by an arc-faul circuit-interrupter (AFCI). This section states that the branc circuit shall be protected, therefore receptacle outlet device type AFCI .devices are not approved. The protection must be from a circuit breaker-type AFCI device. Please note that the requirement will change with the adoption of the 2002 National Electrical Code. The language in the 2002 NEC Code was changed to require AFCI protection of all outlets in dwelling unit bedrooms. T[ includes all branch circuits in the bedrooms, not just thOSE supplying receptacle outlets, as it was stated in the 1999 NEC Code.