To no one’s surprise, the cost for Gilroy’s planned new police
station has risen yet again. The latest estimate
– $27.9 million – is a stunning amount for a city of 46,200
residents.
To no one’s surprise, the cost for Gilroy’s planned new police station has risen yet again. The latest estimate – $27.9 million – is a stunning amount for a city of 46,200 residents.
What is surprising is that not a single elected official has said “enough” to city and police officials about the obscenely bloated price tag attached to this project.
Instead, city administrators are scrambling to find the money to cover the budget gap the steep price tag has created. They’re recycling the same tired excuses about the rising cost of steel (that one has been trotted out at least twice when costs have risen), unexpected sewer problems and project creep. And they’re hoping that bids for the project will be lower than projected.
Despite Assistant Police Chief Lanny Brown’s assurances that “it’s not a blind hope,” we have our doubts. It was just about a year ago when this project went out to bid and those bids came in roughly 50 percent higher than expected.
Meanwhile, Morgan Hill’s police officers are prepping to move next month into a $9.45 million police station that’s being delivered on time and on budget. Gilroy won’t be able to meet either of those objectives with its police station.
Despite Councilman Russ Valiquette’s hypersensitivity to the comparison to Morgan Hill’s budget-friendly new facility (“I’ve had it up to here with hearing about Morgan Hill,” Valiquette huffed when Councilman Roland Velasco asked the reasonable question about how Morgan Hill is able to build a police station for roughly one-third the cost of Gilroy’s).
That’s the wrong approach. It’s a valid comparison and undoubtedly one taxpayers will be making.
When Gilroy’s police station project was first announced with a $19 million price tag, we complained that the cost was too high. As the price escalated at every turn, even after supposed cost-cutting measures, we continued to express grave concern.
Now, as the project approaches the mind-boggling $30-million mark, we’re renewing our call to Gilroy’s City Councilmembers to put a stop to this madness.
The Gilroy City Council needs to establish a reasonable police station budget – $15 million sounds like an affordable amount to us – and make the project fit the budget, not the other way around.
Councilman Velasco, you were right to ask why Morgan Hill is able to build a new station for one-third the cost. You were wrong to back off when Councilman Valiquette got his feelings hurt. Mayor Al Pinheiro, you were right in your prediction that you’ll be seeing numbers topping $30 million for this project soon. You’re wrong to not lead an effort to force fiscal sanity onto this project.
Gilroy needs a new police station – but it has to be one that it can afford. Clearly, the effort to design an adequate facility at a reasonable price has failed miserably.
Doesn’t anyone in a position of leadership get it? Scrap the project, the architects, the design plans and start over with a $15 million budget. Build a police station the community can be proud of – but do it for what we can afford.
