Plans for a new police station in Green Oak Township are still on, but 2 other projects once tied to it are being put on temporary hold.

The Green Oak Township Board of Trustees held a special meeting Wednesday night to discuss their options for funding a new police station, community center, and improvements to the fire station. Originally the board believed they could get this project done without extra cost to the taxpayers. Township Supervisor Mark St. Charles said this no longer seems to be the case. St. Charles said that the vision they had of what it would cost in the beginning, realistic or not, is only about half of what new estimates are coming in at. Early estimates suggested to the board that the new buildings could be constructed for around $150 per square foot, but new estimates have that number at double that. St. Charles said that current codes and methods of constructing police and fire stations are at a higher level than more regular buildings. As a result, the difficult decision had to be made with how to proceed.

Treasurer Susan Daugherty said she was pretty confident they could still do the police building, but the fire station and community center would most likely require an additional millage. Clerk Michael Sedlak said that they have been promising the public a new police department for a long time and have enough money in the general fund to make a significant contribution. While the early suggestion was to spend $2.5 million from the general fund, Trustee Richard Everett recommended spending a million less and bonding more to keep extra cash on hand for emergencies and other promised projects. Bond counselors present supported this idea along with the rest of the board, saying this would have little to no impact on the township’s bond rating.

The board ultimately approved a motion to continue the plans for a new police station committing $1.5 million of the general fund balance and bonding the rest, and postponing the rest with the exception of fire department site prep and infrastructure development. St. Charles invited anyone with questions to come to Green Oak Days on September 16th at the township hall for more information. (MK)