LOCK HAVEN — After six years of back and forth, and three years since approving the construction of a new building for its police department, Lock Haven City Council gave the okay for city staff to put the project out for bid.

Council heard a summary of the proposed project — which has been in the works since discussion about the department’s working conditions started around 2020 — from City Planner Abbey Roberts.

Roberts told council she and staff from the police department, code office and City Manager Gregory Wilson have been working with hired architectural firm Buchart Horn to find feasible alternatives for the department.

In July 2023, council approved a contract with Buchart Horn to look into construction of a new building for the department.

Ultimately, the firm recommended — and council approved — the construction of a 6,200 square foot facility to be built on a portion of city-owned parking space along East Church Street near City Hall.

“Since then, funding was sought and received from various entities including $500,000 from the Local Share Account — Statewide Program and $1 million from (former) Senator (Bob) Casey’s Appropriation dollars, funneled through USDA,” Roberts said.

Roberts said city staff have been collaborating with USDA and Buchart Horn throughout the year to receive land development approval and prepare the project for bidding.

With council’s approval, bidding will take place in the latter part of December, with bids to be received by January.

Roberts noted the bidding process is contingent on final approval from the USDA.

Once bidding is complete and approved, she said construction is expected to begin in 2026.

“Construction is expected to begin as soon as weather permits in 2026, probably around April or May. The contract estimate is a 380 day period. So that puts project completion in the summer of 2027,” she said.

The building is a two-story design which was raised slightly to meet the USDA’s flood plane requirements. With that change, Roberts said a parking area for police vehicles will be on the first floor of the building with most office space existing on the second floor.

“There is still a public entrance on the first floor with an elevator,” she added.

Code Enforcement Officer Cyndi Walker added that the city’s contractor that reviews plans for commercial applications and issues permits, Code Inspection, Inc., has already reviewed the construction documents and approved them.

“It’s all ready to go,” she said.

During council discussion, Councilmember Jeff Brinker asked where funding for the estimated $3.2 million project will come from after the $1.5 million grant funding.

Wilson said the remaining funds will come for the city’s 2021A borrowing package, which council initially approved for improvements to City Hall.

Brinker asked if that meant there would be no more funding left to make improvements to City Hall — which is in need of updates to its electric, HVAC system and other fixes to its aging infrastructure.

Wilson said that was correct.

Roberts noted her department is currently in contact with the Department of Economic Development (DCED) and the Governors Action Team to see if there are other funding sources that can be awarded to offset how much borrowed funds will be put towards the project.

She added the city will also be looking to receive bids from local contractors as well.

“Ideally, if we get anything additional with (other funding sources), it would offset our borrowing which would leave the funds open for City Hall,” she said.

Councilmember Heather Alexander said she wants the police department to have a facility that it deserves, but expressed concerns of the cost — noting the estimate was gathered in 2023.

She further stated she was worried about the process being dragged out more.

“The fact that we are working on this now in 2026, when we could have already started to create for them a space in this building… or started the process to get what they need but we’re still waiting for the new building. I want to understand that,” she said. “Where is the rest of city hall going to go if we don’t have the money to give you a different space or update the space here? I just have a lot of concerns.”

Wilson noted it was council’s decision to move forward with the construction of the new facility, and added at the time of the decision the cost to rehabilitate city hall was estimated at $6 million.

Alexander pressed more, questioning if the estimate will increase since it was given years ago.

Roberts said an estimate she received in February of this year put the project at about $3.8 million.

“So it’s slightly above what we have now but that isn’t current either,” she said.

Councilmember Barbara Masorti noted, when she first began her time on council, she remembered touring City Hall and seeing the conditions employees — including the police officers — were dealing with.

“When (costs) were brought, everybody on council at the time was completely shocked at how much money needed to be spent on a building that needed new windows put in when Rick Vilello was mayor,” she said, emphasizing how long it’s taken council to move on making improvements.

She further noted it took about three years for council to even come to the current decision they were at now because there were differing opinions on how to move forward.

Alexander said she wasn’t trying to be controversial, she was just concerned about costs and where the remaining staff at City Hall would go once the police building was constructed.

Wilson said it was ultimately council’s decision on where the remaining staff might be moved and that hasn’t been made yet.

In the meantime, he told council the remaining staff would look to reduce and downsize to one floor.

“What happens after that, I can’t answer because there are no funds to do that,” he said.

Councilmember Steve Stevenson said, when he toured the building after being elected to council 2008, the conditions for the police department and other staff were “deplorable” and “not good” then.

“It’s taken this long to get this far,” he said, motioning to approve the request to bid the project. The motion was seconded by Masorti.

Prior to a vote, Brinker asked if it would be possible to reduce the square footage of the building to save on costs.

Wilson said the square footage was already reduced by about 20 percent to reduce costs.

“So we’ve already reduced the footprint,” he said.

Roberts added that doing so would cost the engineering fees and put the $500,000 grant at risk due to its expiration in July 2027.

“We’re already cutting it close with the build time,” she said.

Ultimately council approved putting the project out for bid in a 5-2 vote with Mayor Joel Long and Brinker voting no.

Prior to the vote, Long — who has previously expressed his disagreement with constructing a new building, offered comment about his vote.

“You all know where I’ve stood on this all along. I think there were better ways for us to deal with this. But council’s had its say and they’ll have their say tonight. It’s nothing against the officers,” he said.