City leaders in Rexburg proposing $22.5 million bond for new police station

Rexburg Police Chief Josh Rhodes speaks during a city council meeting in 2022 after being sworn in. | Courtesy photo REXBURG – The city of Rexburg is working with the Rexburg Police Department to put a bond for a new police station on the ballot for the Nov. 4 election. The measure asks voters to approve a four-year bond in the amount of $22,589,638. It will require a two-thirds supermajority to pass. If approved, the goal is to begin construction on a 29,751-square-foot building, along with a 4,000-square-foot metal building that will be used for training and vehicle storage. It will be built on an open 5-acre field on the west side of Pioneer Road near U.S. Highway 20. Rexburg Police Chief Josh Rhodes tells EastIdahoNews.com the city has already bought the land for this purpose and has accrued about $3 million from impact fees for the project. A final design has not been approved, so a rendering of the building is not yet available. If voters approve the measure, Rhodes anticipates construction getting underway next spring and lasting about 18 months. Project completion is estimated for fall 2027. Headwaters Construction has been selected as the general contractor. Rhodes says their priority is to have a building that’s functional and serves the needs of the community. He says they’ve made an effort to avoid any extravagant amenities and prevent unnecessary costs. “The biggest reason to approve the bond is to increase the Rexburg Police Department’s ability to serve the public and to provide them the best department and resources we can provide for safety and security,” Rhodes says. “We want to provide a space where the public feels comfortable and safe and that our city can be proud of.” RELATED | City of Rexburg making plans to build new police station Conversations about a new police station have been happening informally for the last four or five years, but the city has started to make it a priority only in the last year. The unveiling of the new Idaho Falls Police Complex at 775 Northgate Mile last year inspired the city to start looking into it. RELATED | Idaho Falls Police unveils new complex Earlier this year, Rhodes said there are 53 employees working in the current 11,000-square-foot station on Main Street. They’ve outgrown the space in the last 28 years and it’s become inadequate for daily operation. EastIdahoNews.com file photo from 2021 The ability to interview suspects and victims is particularly challenging. The walls are thin, according to Mayor Jerry Merrill, and Rhodes says only one of the rooms is secure enough to “manage a bigger case.” Fingerprint machines are in the middle of the work space and detectives double up on office space. Rhodes says the evidence room is too small for the amount they collect, forcing them to use an offsite location. “It makes it inconvenient to transport evidence and have it separate from the police department,” Rhodes said in February. Voters will determine whether the bond is approved during the general election on Nov. 4. If it doesn’t pass, Rhodes says the department will determine what the next course of action will be. “If it doesn’t pass, we’ll evaluate where we fell short and if there are other changes we can make,” he says. “During the design process, we’ve broken down all the things that would best serve the community to be financially responsible and not have any space that can’t be utilized for a good purpose.” Additional information about the project is available here. Those with questions or concerns are encouraged to call Chief Rhodes at the police department or members of the city council. They’re willing to provide tours of the current building and discuss the needs of the police department. The Rexburg Police Department can be reached at 208-359-3008. The number for City Hall is 208-359-3020.The post City leaders in Rexburg proposing $22.5 million bond for new police station appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com