Sequim City Council ponders plans for future city buildings
By Paige Dickerson, Peninsula Daily News
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The council discussed the status before going into an hour-long executive session at a special meeting Monday morning.
No action was taken.
Frank Needham, capital projects manager, gave an overview of the current situation during the public portion.
The city now rents two buildings with a total of about 12,000 square feet.
Needham said he expected that monthly rent costs for the city would increase by 125 percent at the end of August 2009 if a new building isn't under way.
The current cost is about $132,000 annually and is expected to increase to $297,000.
Works, police spaces
The buildings include the Planning and Public Works building at 615 N. Fifth Ave., City Hall which the city already owns at 152 W. Cedar St., and the Police Department at 609 W. Washington St., Suite 16.
The ideal situation for a new set-up, Needham said, was for the Police Department and the City Hall to have separate facilities.
"The public input we have had and the input from the council over the years has overwhelmingly been that they should not be in the same building," Needham said.
"Chief [Bob] Spinks' clientele is a completely different clientele than is coming to City Hall."
Build-to-suit proposal
In an agenda attachment, Needham said that Robert McNish, who owns the J.C. Penney shopping center where the Police Department is currently housed, has offered to build to suit east of where the department is now located.
"Our determination has been that this would need to be competitive," Needham said.
"We would have to put out notice to see if any other property owners would be willing to do this for a similar price."
The specifics of the pricing, how a lease to purchase contract would be set up, or whether a regular land and building financing structure would be set up was not outlined at the meeting.
Needham and Spinks said they hope to ask the council at its July 28 meeting for a proposal to ask for qualified owners and developers who have the ability to deliver a new city hall or a new police building.
3 other property owners
Needham said there were three other property owners who have expressed interest in a similar structure but would not publicly name them or the locations.
The council held the executive session to discuss the specifics.
The structure of having a property owner construct the building is different from past efforts to secure a large piece of property and decide how and where to build the structures.
"What I asked the staff to do is to refocus their efforts to move forward with both projects," said Spinks, who is doubling as police chief and interim city manager.
"In the past, our efforts have focused mostly in identifying parcels and less about purchasing a specific site.
"If we do not relocate our facilities, we will find ourselves in a precarious or expensive situation and will have to make a decision in crisis mode.
"Our options will not be ones you or the city staff will find appealing."
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: July 21. 2008 9:00PM