Voters didn’t want new Puyallup police station. The city may spend $115M on one anyway

Jul. 19—The city of Puyallup found a way to get a new public safety building without voters.

Voters have rejected the city’s proposal to build a new public safety building three times. The last proposal was on the November ballot. About 51.6 percent of voters were against it and about 48.4 percent were for it. It needed 60 percent to pass.

Now the plan the city is considering is to lease space in a building near Bradley Lake Park for the police department, and to renovate the current public safety building downtown, where the city has its jail, and turn part of it into a police substation.

The city unveiled the plan Saturday at a community meeting, which was not recorded or streamed online. City staff also presented the plan Tuesday during the Puyallup City Council meeting, which can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=DrR9VHxeY7M (shortly after the 34-minute mark).

The building being considered is the Benaroya Business & Technology Center at 1015 39th Ave. SE. The plan is to put the criminal investigation division, emergency operation center, professional services, administration, evidence, operations, records, SWAT and the traffic division there.

City spokesperson Eric Johnson declined to share any details about the plan with The News Tribune before the meetings. He answered a reporter’s questions about the project later in the week.

When asked what the city will do with the land where it had originally planned to build a new public safety building, at 600 39th Ave. SE, Johnson said the city is weighing its options.

As for the current public safety building at 311 W. Pioneer Ave., the new plan would turn some spaces into a nursing/phlebotomy room, programming classroom and a holding cell, among other things. Johnson said the new nursing area would give nurses a dedicated space for medical and rehabilitative services, such as taking vitals. It’d also be a place to do blood testing for DUI suspects.

The police substation would sit next to the jail space. There would not be any additional jail beds added under the new plan.

What will the new police station cost?

The 30-year lease for the Benaroya building up the hill would cost the city $114.5 million total. It would cost $3.1 million for the first year. That doesn’t include what it would cost to renovate the old station.

If the city were to build its own new public safety building, it would have cost $149.6 million over 30 years.

To pay for the project, the city could increase its excise tax on private utilities, cable franchise fee, take from its banked property tax capacity, and make reductions to its general fund budget. The city could also use unallocated funds that the city keeps in reserve.

City finance director Barbara Lopez said during the City Council meeting that private utilities include electricity, natural gas, telephone, cable and garbage. The city could increase the rate from 4.2 percent to 6 percent, which is the maximum allowed. She said it would cost about $11 per month for a family of four.

The cable franchise fee would affect cable companies, Lopez said. The city could increase the fee from 3.4 percent to 5 percent. The banked property tax capacity is a “savings account” for when a city does not increase its property tax levy rate, she said.

Johnson said the state allows cities to increase their property tax levy rate by 1 percent each year without voter approval. When cities choose not to do so, he said the state allows cities to have the property tax amount “banked.” Puyallup has not increased its property taxes since 2008, so there is about $730,000 in banked capacity.

Mayor Jim Kastama said during the City Council meeting that council members may “take action” on the new public safety building plan as soon as their Aug. 20 meeting.

When asked if council members are expected to vote on whether to go forward with the lease, Johnson said staff is in the process of crafting a lease agreement with Benaroya. The plan is to bring it to a future meeting, most likely in August.

Council member Julie Door told The News Tribune that the current public safety building is antiquated, and it does not meet the needs of those who work there. She said she is still in the process of evaluating the plan and is looking for feedback from the community.

Those with questions, comments or concerns about the plan can contact Puyallup Police Chief Scott Engle at scotte@puyallupwa.gov, city manager Steve Kirkelie at skirkelie@puyallupwa.gov, or Johnson at ejohnson@puyallupwa.gov.

“Our job is to find a good solution,” Door said. “Benaroya is a good option. I just want to make sure I’m looking at the costs carefully.”

Council member Lauren Adler told The News Tribune that she cannot sit by knowing that professionals are working in the condition the current public safety building is in. The building is 56 years old, and the city’s population and police staff have outgrown the building. She said she is supportive of the new plan, and that she is sensitive about the “economic environment” residents are facing.

Council member Ned Witting told The News Tribune that the new plan is a fiscally prudent solution. He said he understands some residents are “economically fraught” at the moment, but said something must be done to the current public safety building.

Deputy Mayor Dennis King wrote in an email that the new public safety building is “a substantial investment” in the community’s future. The building will give officers tools and the environment needed to serve and protect effectively, he said.

Part of his email said: “This new facility will boost our law enforcement capabilities and strengthen the security and trust within the community. These elements are crucial for Puyallup’s continued growth and prosperity.”

Council members Dean Johnson, Renne Gilliam and Mayor Jim Kastama did not immediately respond to The News Tribune’s request for comment.