The decision came about after City Administrator Dave Iverson shared a letter from the county outlining its proposal for city participation in the new LEC.  “It’s just not good sense to spend about $500,000 up front for a couple of offices,” Iverson said.

It was estimated in that letter that the city would use about 9 to 10 percent of the space in the new LEC building and estimated the proportional space and the cost per square foot to mean the city’s portion of the cost would be about $350,000.  That money, according to Iverson, would “need to be paid up front” and would secure us in the new facility for 20 years without any increases in cost.  In the proposal from the county, there were stipulations that would allow the county the option to terminate the agreement earlier than the 20 year time frame, but nothing that guaranteed no further costs to the city.

In discussions with the county, Iverson told the commission that the topic of dispatch did come up.  Currently, the city pays about $60,000 annually to the county for dispatch services and city commissioners have long believed that amount should have been reduced or eliminated by now, it was stated.  In the conversation with county officials, Iverson told the commission that he was told the city could “buy down” the dispatch fee by paying two years, or about $120,000 up front to the county, and the dispatch fee would be eliminated.

So, for the city to be involved in the LEC and eliminate the annual dispatch payments, “you’re looking at a lump sum of about $500,000,” Iverson told the commission.  “That is a lot of money,” he added, stating that the city could better use the money to build a Fire Department to include police “…so this is a tough sell for the city.”

Iverson said there have been a number of discussions with the county on the LEC and the city’s involvement, “but this is the first written proposal that deals with specifics.”

The commissioners and the city administration voiced concern about continuing to work with the Pope County Sheriff’s Department.  “We’d like to continue our working relationship, but we just wouldn’t be located in the same building,” Iverson said.  He added that he is already looking at other options for the city, because city commissioners have voiced a concern about the LEC being located “on top of the hill,” and police would not be as visible in downtown Glenwood.

The city commission, directed Iverson and city staff to continue to look at other options available to the city.  And they directed the staff to continue working on sharing active files between the county and the city, no matter if the two entities were located in different buildings.

“I realize this is a big decision, no matter which way we go,” Iverson said.  “But when you’re talking that kind of dollars you need to look at what is available to us.”

Commissioner Cody Rogahn said he just can’t support it because of the cost and the lack of control by the city.  “Granted the police work well with the county sheriff’s department, but I have concerns about the needs at the Fire Hall and how to deal with dispatch.

Commissioner Bill Ogdahl told other commissioners that “as far as the city’s concerned, we can do just as good a job for our citizens on our own.”

“The idea of prepaid rent sounds good now, but times change and people come and go and I have a feeling that at some time this is going to change to the county’s advantage because they’ve got us there.”

In other action, the commission:

• Extended the South Lakeshore Drive one-way designation through April 15, 2009.  Commissioners all agreed that comments have been favorable and most want the one-way designation to remain in effect.  Stone said that comments from a couple of residents who live on the road “like it very much” because it has slowed down traffic that was driving “way too fast” on that road.

  City Administrator Dave Iverson pointed out that the commission should be aware that the way the one-way as it is being used now, would not make it eligible for any grants and could “impair efforts” to link the bike bath around the lake in the future. Stone pointed out that any kind of funding for that would be more than five years away.  Ogdahl agreed, but said “sometimes you have to watch out” for free money.  “Sometimes free means it’s not worth the taking,” he said.  He referred to the effect on property owners in the area when they could lose trees and green space because of a regulation bike path and rip-rapping along the lake.

  The commission was in favor of conducting another public informational meeting on the one-way designation next spring and directed city staff to prepare a meeting for sometime in February of 2009.