Posted inPolice facility

“Make Salem’s Library Earthquake Safe” video

I'm deeply disturbed -- no, let's make that pissed off -- at how making the Library and City Hall earthquake-safe is being ignored by the Salem City Council. Mayor Peterson and the eight councilors are focused on an ill-considered $83 million plan for a new over-priced 148,000 square foot police facility. A few years ago City officials were fine with a 75,000 square foot, $40 million police facility.  But after some Chicago consultants came to town, the size doubled along with the cost. And that made money for urgently needed seismic upgrades to the Library and City Hall go bye-bye,…
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Posted inCity Council Police facility

New Salem police facility seems to be on shaky voter ground

Well, after attending a 2 1/2 hour Salem City Council work session last night, I can report that six years of planning for a new police facility appears to be on track to end up as dysfunctional as it began. (See here for documentation of the messy process.) Which is too bad. The police department needs a new facility. But I observed the work session thinking, "Man, here's another reason voters probably will reject a bond measure in the November 2016 election." (For a comprehensive and readable analysis of this project, check out the Salem Community Vision position paper, "Salem's…
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