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Clayton voters to decide on police headquarters
(by Mitch Schneider - July 21, 2010)
In addition to the many candidate races on the ballot Aug. 3, voters will also see a number of propositions on the ballot on topics as varied as health care, police departments and public schools.
Residents of Clayton will be presented with Proposition P asking for a property tax increase to cover expenses associated with the city’s new police headquarters. The proposition reads, “For the purpose of acquiring, adapting, equipping and maintaining a new police facility, and other city services, shall the City of Clayton be authorized to increase its property tax in an amount not to exceed $.12 of $100 of assessed valuation for twenty years beginning when the city’s current general obligation bond issue is paid off in 2013?”
Clayton officials have been looking at issues with the current police building for several years. The building at 227 S. Central Ave. — which has been used since 1962 and also houses the city’s Information Technology Department — has a number of problems, including inadequate space and the presence of hazardous materials such as asbestos.
The latter makes renovation work to the building impractical. After several years of study, including hiring Arcturis Architects to examine the police department’s needs, the city ultimately bought the Heritage Building at 10 S. Brentwood Blvd. for approximately $7.5 million.
The Heritage Building currently houses several offices, whose tenants will move out, in order to make room for the city. City officials have cited favorable market conditions in their purchase of the building. In addition to space for police facilities, it has been proposed that the building also house space for a courtroom, which would free up space in City Hall, where traffic court cases are currently held in the chambers used by the Board of Aldermen and other city boards and commissions.
In addition to the police, the Information Technology Department will also move to the Heritage building. Two other entities that currently use the police headquarters will also move. One is the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group, a group founded by a detective from Clayton’s police department that includes 10 detectives from across the St. Louis area who deal in computer crime. Clayton Police Chief Tom Byrne said much of the group’s work deals with addressing child pornography.
The other group that will move is six agents from the FBI. Byrne said the agency had heard of the success of the RCCEEG and set up a satellite office for their agents to work with the local group. Both groups will pay rent in the new building, which was built in 1952.
During an informational open house on July 12, Byrne said that in addition to the groups that are already scheduled to move into the Heritage Building, the city hopes to also lease several floors of the building to other tenants.
He said that the current building has approximately 21,000 square feet, while studies indicated that the department needs about 40,600. The Heritage Building is approximately 65,000 square feet. Byrne said that the city hopes to rent out the other approximately 25,000 square feet to some sort of governmental group.
The city will have another open house about Proposition P at 7 p.m. July 28 at the Center of Clayton. “We did not let the building fall apart,” said Byrne. “Basically, the doors have never been shut since 1962. They are open 24-7, 365 and problems build up over time.”
Other propositions
Countywide, voters will also be presented with Proposition 2, which will ask whether the position of county assessor should become an elected position. The placement of the bill on the ballot is a measure that is supported by County Executive Charlie Dooley, who is currently running for re-election.
In a statement made earlier this year on his campaign website, Dooley wrote that he asked for the vote because politicians in Jefferson City had decided to have the entire state vote on the issue in November.
“This bill gives [St. Louis County voters] the opportunity to decide before the state election in November,” the statement reads. “This will ensure that this issue is decided by the voters of St. Louis County and St. Louis County only.”
In addition, Proposition C will appear on the ballot. In response to the new federal health care legislation, Proposition C will ask about taking away the government’s right to penalize individuals for refusing to buy health insurance.
According to ballot language, the potential costs or savings of Prop C’s passage are unknown. However, since federal laws take precedence over state or local laws, it is difficult to say exactly what effect Prop C would have if passed.
In the city of St. Louis, voters will be asked to decide on a no-tax-increase $155 million bond issue for St. Louis Public Schools. According to the ballot language, if passed, the funds would pay for “acquiring, constructing, renovating, repairing, improving, furnishing and equipping school sites, buildings and related facilities” in the district.
Among those improvements would be removing lead, upgrading technology, improving security systems, upgrading school kitchens and improving school playgrounds and athletic facilities.
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