The Edmond Sun

Local News

Discussion

November 5, 2008

City, opposition look at what's next for Public Safety Center

James Coburn

EDMOND — Edmond Mayor Dan O’Neil began exploring how to best fund the proposed $31.5 million Public Safety Center Wednesday morning after voters rejected the ad valorem proposition supported by the City Council.

“We’re looking at all our options and trying to see what works,” O’Neil said.

The Public Safety Center would facilitate the Edmond Police Department, the Central Communications Department and the Emergency Management Department moving into one building.

The Edmond City Council voted unanimously in July to approve Barnett Field at Kelly and Main Street as the site for an 83,000-square-foot Public Safety Center.

City residents voted against the center 24,121 to 15,268. O’Neil said the community appears anxious to pursue the sales tax option.

“In a city of 75,000, that’s pretty close to an overwhelming response,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil sat down with longtime Edmond real estate broker Pete Reeser Wednesday morning to discuss the sales tax option for funding the facility. Reeser was an outspoken leader of The Committee to Stop Higher Property Taxes. He supports a half-cent sales tax to fund the Public Safety Center.

“There’s a number of options. We’ve asked them for some names. We’re going to set up a sounding board committee of people in the community that were opposed to it,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil said he asked Reeser for a list of names of people to appoint to an oversight committee.

“I’d be happy to work with him any way I can,” Reeser said. “If he wants me to help recruit some people, I’d be happy to.”

Perhaps former Mayor Randel Shadid had been the most outspoken member of the opposition group.

“… I recognize something is needed and I’d be happy to work on the project with them if asked,” he said.

And former City Councilman Barry Rice also said he’d be pleased to provide his input to the city.

“I’d be glad to put as much effort into making it work as I did to keep it from happening,” Rice said.

Reeser said the size of the proposed Public Safety Center should be scaled down to 60,000 square feet. A 2000 needs assessment study determined the current downtown police station’s 22,000-square-foot design is inadequate for Edmond’s population.

“There is a solution the community will support and I am confident that our elected officials will be able to work with the community to find that solution,” said Claudia Deakins, public information director for the City of Edmond.

Reeser said he is glad voters chose to save the ad valorem tax for Edmond Public Schools.

“We’ve always used it for the schools and it should stay that way,” Reeser said. “I’m in favor of the $36 million school bond issue on Dec. 9.”

O’Neil said the City Council was convinced it had given Edmond residents the most economical way of building the Public Safety Center.

Deakins said the police and emergency management departments made numerous presentations and talked to many residents during the campaign. Edmond residents who toured the police station overwhelmingly acknowledged the need for a new police facility, Deakins said.

Edmond Police Chief Bob Ricks said the Police Department is disappointed the Public Safety Center proposition did not pass.

“The need had not gone away,” Ricks said. “Every day we make decisions of arresting someone based on space in the jail.”

Ricks said the Police Department still lacks modern equipment to solve crimes properly.

“There is not proper space to treat victims of crime in Edmond,” he said. “A report room is used for a report writing room, a victim interview room, evidence processing, preparations room and the evidence submission room. This is because no other space is available. These conditions will only continue to get worse.”

Text Only
Local News
  • jc_babyA.jpg OU Medical Edmond greets 100th baby

    Sometimes it seems as if history repeats itself.
    My Birth Center at OU Medical Center Edmond delivered its 100th baby at 7:42 a.m. Friday, 44 years after the hospital’s first 100th baby was born in 1968. My Birth Center opened in September, becoming the first birth place available in Edmond since 2005.

    February 11, 2012 3 Photos

  • 2-11 Police & fire runs

    February 11, 2012

  • School board candidates release financial reports

    Both candidates running for the Edmond school board District No. 1 seat filed their first of two financial reports with the school administration.

    February 11, 2012

  • 2-11 Edmond Senior Center calendar

    The Edmond Senior Center, 2733 Marilyn Williams Drive, is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
    For information about Edmond senior programs, stop by and pick up a monthly calendar, check out the website at edmondseniorcenter.com or call 216-7600.
    Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. and reservations are needed a day in advance by 11 a.m.
    For lunch reservations, call at 330-6293 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

    February 10, 2012

  • State schools to receive No Child Left Behind waiver

    State Secretary of Education Phyllis Hudecki announced Thursday Oklahoma is one of 10 states chosen to receive a waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements.

    February 10, 2012

  • Logan Co. Democrats to meet Monday

    The Logan County Democratic Committee will have its monthly meeting on Monday.
    The main order of business will be Get Out the Vote for the April 3 state Senate race. Precinct officers are encouraged to attend. In addition to business and planning items, the group will celebrate Logan County Democrats with birthdays in February. 

    February 10, 2012

  • Eloise Rees.jpg Edmond loses wealth of knowledge with death of resident

    The death of longtime Edmond resident Eloise Rodkey Rees goes with the saying that with every death, you lose a library.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • Polling places: Where to vote

    February 10, 2012

  • Humphreys seeks Senate seat

    Fearing that the liberties of Oklahomans are slipping away, Republican Chris Humphreys said he hopes to win the state Senate District 20 primary race set for Tuesday.

    February 10, 2012

  • Unwritten contracts hard to prove

    Q: Can an agreement be enforced if it is not in writing?
    A: Although it is generally advisable to put every agreement in writing, most agreements can be enforced without written evidence of the deal. Both oral and written contracts can, in the right circumstances, bind the parties to perform.

    February 10, 2012