WASHINGTON, Ill. – The city of Washington will be taking a second look at what it will cost to build a new police evidence building.
City council at Monday’s meeting voted against an amendment to the city’s budget of spending $600,000 in general fund reserves to help fund the project. The vote was five against and three for the amendment, but it needed a supermajority of six yes votes to pass.
The cost of building the new building has increased from around $1.9 million to nearly $2.4 million, since it was first proposed. Part of the increase in costs is due to needing utility hook-ups at the planned location next to the fire station. Most of the project is being funded through federal and state grants.
The city has been seeking to build a new evidence building, even before the current building being used to store evidence caught on fire in February.
City Administration Jim Snider says some councilmembers had concerns about spending reserve money, and the timing of it.
“We approved a budget May 1, so there was several that expressed concern about amending the budget so early in the fiscal year and approving additional monies,” Snider said.
Snider says those who voted in favor of the amendments raised concerns about costs of the project increasing again.
He says the council showed support to redo the bidding process again, with a report in July of the new bids.
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