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Huntington Common Council gets ball rolling on process of constructing new police station

The Huntington Common Council got the ball rolling on the process of constructing a new police station during its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

The board passed a resolution that accepted a petition from citizens calling for the city to finance the construction of the new station via the lease bond approach. This is a financing method for public improvements that is available to all municipalities in the state. In order to utilize this method, a municipality must first receive a petition that has been signed by 50 or more taxpayers within its boundaries.

In addition to formally accepting the petition, the resolution also expressed that the city had determined there was a need for a new police station. Mayor Brooks Fetters says discussions about the Huntington Police Department requiring more space started three to four years ago. While there had been talk about expanding the department into the south side of the Huntington City Building, Fetters notes that it became apparent the department needed more space than what the City Building could offer.

The new police station will be built in the city parking lot on Cherry Street. While that lot currently hosts the Huntington Farmers’ Market, Fetters says the market will be moved to a new location.

Another action included in the resolution was the incorporation of the Huntington Municipal Building Corporation, which is a statutory legal entity that will be the new station’s lease holder while the city makes payments on the bonds that fund its construction. When the bonds have been paid off, the Building Corporation will dissolve, said Fetters, and the city will own the station.

The estimated cost of the new station is $4.8 million, stated Fetters. Paying for the facility will not require a tax increase.

“This is being done with current funds available,” Fetters explained. “We are just earmarking and securing funds from our public safety LIT (Local Income Tax) dollars to service the debt.”

There will be a public hearing on the police station project during council’s Nov. 13 meeting, which will be held in the City Building at 7 p.m.

The city is currently gathering bids for the project.

In other business, before a final vote was taken on the salary ordinance for the city’s appointed officers and employees, Councilman Dave Funk questioned why the Huntington landfill director salary had been increased by 29.5 percent, from $5,419 to $7,690.

Clerk-Treasurer Christi McElhaney replied that it had gone up to compensate Anthony Goodnight, the city’s director of public works and engineering services, for assuming landfill supervisory duties.

Fetters assigned Goodnight those duties in September. Bob Caley, the city services superintendent, had previously held those responsibilities, but Fetters shifted them to Goodnight when the decision was made to close the landfill. Fetters says he made the move because of Goodnight’s experience working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which will monitor the closure process.

After Funk’s question was answered, council passed the salary ordinance. The board also passed the salary ordinance for elected officials.