November 20, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
Relocating the Alexandria Police Department?
During Tuesday night’s regular monthly meeting, Alexandria Police Chief Kenneth (K.D.) Smith asked the mayor and aldermen to enter into a lease agreement with the owners of the doctor’s building across the street from city hall to relocate the police department there. Chief Smith said the police department for many years has been housed in a small area of city hall and needs more space and visibility. Chief Smith said the owners want about $1,600 or $1,700 per month to lease the building but he and one of his full time officers, Max Goodpasture are each willing to give up $10,000 of their salaries for up to two years to fund the lease.
“I would like to ask the board to approve leasing the doctor’s office building across the street,” said Chief Smith. “It would allow us to move the police department from here in this building (city hall). It’s a small area back there. I’ll be honest with you its an embarrassment to me to bring somebody in there,” said Chief Smith. “My office is an old jail cell. The building over there (doctor’s office building) is set up perfect for us. There’s plenty of offices. We can have a designated evidence room and break room. The supply room is set up perfect for us,” he explained.
“I spoke with the doctor and his wife. I met with them one Saturday. We did a walk through. They’re excited. They said they would love for the police department to be in this building and that they (police department) could stay from here on out but if they (owners) ever decided to sell it the city would have the first option to buy it. They are willing to lease it for right around $1,600 or $1,700 a month which is cheap for a commercial building,” Chief Smith continued.
“This is my proposal to the board. Max and I have talked about this quite a bit. You’re looking at about a $19,000 a year lease. I’m willing to give up $10,000 of my salary and Max is willing to give up $10,000 of his salary for two years to pay for the lease. By then we’ll have some programs in place to pay for itself. It’s a win-win for the city. The city hall can expand their rooms back in the police department. If you go back there now and look in the closet, you can’t get in there. Its packed with files and paper. It’ll be a lot more space for them (city hall). I think it would be a positive image for the police department and the city. There are people who live in this town that don’t know where the police department is. They have no clue. I would like to ask the board to vote on it and allow me to contact the doctor and his wife tomorrow and have them draft the lease and if it all goes through we could take possession January 1,” said Chief Smith.
“Can I have a motion to go ahead,” asked Mayor Beth Tripp
“You need to remember something. You do not have money budgeted for this lease. You need to remember, you have to live within your budget for this year,” explained City Attorney Vester Parsley.
“Its coming out of our salaries. She (mayor) can reallocate that money out of our salaries to that,” replied Chief Smith.
“I don’t know what your salary is but that would mean a change in both of your salaries,” explained Parsley.
“That’s fine. I’m willing to do it. Max is too. That’s how much we care for the police department,” said Chief Smith.
City attorney Parsley suggested that the mayor and aldermen have a workshop with the owners of the building to discuss terms of such a lease and the long-term funding of it since the city currently does not have such a project budgeted.
“You probably need to have these folks (owners) come in and have a workshop before you talk about spending money. In two years if the market goes up high and these people want to sell the building then where are you going to put the police department then? You don’t have it budgeted and you’re trying to adjust your budget by reducing salaries for two years,” explained Parsley
“We’re giving our salaries up for two years to pay for it. He (owner) is looking at a long-term lease”, replied Chief Smith.
“How many years are you talking about,” asked Parsley.
“We haven’t discussed that,” responded Chief Smith
“That’s what needs to be discussed,” said Parsley.
“We talked something, 10, 15 years. It was just verbal talk but I told them I had to bring everything before the board,” explained Chief Smith.
“That’s the reason I think this board needs to have a workshop to discuss it because all those are very important issues for the board to understand,” said City Attorney Parsley.
The Alexandria Mayor and Aldermen have scheduled a workshop on this issue for Tuesday, November 26 at 5 p.m. at city hall.