Geneva restarts police station plan with a smaller design and a $1.5 million state grant

Geneva is taking a second run at a new police station, eight months after voters turned down a $59.4 million referendum to build one.

The City Council voted 8-0 on Nov. 2, with two members absent, to hire FGM Architects for up to $118,000 to redraw the station planned for city-owned land on South Street, next to the Public Works facility. The cost is eligible for reimbursement from a $1.5 million State of Illinois grant the city received in May for the police facility, according to the agenda memo.

A second step followed Monday, Nov. 9. At a special meeting, the council voted 9-0, with one member absent, to hire Beyond Your Base for up to $35,000, according to the roll call on the city's meeting video. The public affairs firm specializes in pre-referendum outreach. Its work covers mailers, digital outreach and a public opinion survey on the revised plan.

The city has now put numbers on that plan. An FAQ the city posted Tuesday, Nov. 10, says voters may be asked on April 6, 2027, to approve up to $39 million in bonds, about 34% less than the March request. It puts the total project cost at $40.5 million, the same budget listed in the architect's agreement in the Nov. 2 council packet. The bonds would pay for most of that, with the state grant going toward design and engineering. No decision has been made to put the question on the ballot. The city says the council will decide in January.

A smaller station that keeps one ball field

In March, 65.6% of voters rejected the bond question, according to unofficial results reported by the Kane County Chronicle, which described the plan as a 45,000-square-foot station.

The city's page on the revised proposal says the new concept is about 14,000 square feet smaller, drops the indoor firing range and has a smaller front entrance. Furniture, fixtures and equipment would be paid for with money that does not come from the referendum.

The architect's agreement says the redesign is meant to answer comments from the spring campaign. The first concept put the station east of Public Works, replacing two baseball fields used by the Geneva Park District and private groups. The new concept aims to keep one field, improve public parking and consider lights for the remaining field. The city says it would work with the park district to find a new spot for the second field and the skate park. FGM will also survey the site, test the soil and study utilities and stormwater.

Those site questions came up at the Nov. 2 meeting. "When this went to referendum, it was very clear that people expected us to know whether or not the drainage was going to work and whether or not the soil bearing was sufficient," Ald. Amy Mayer said.

Ald. Brad Kosirog asked staff to confirm two features residents questioned the first time. City Administrator Alex Voigt said the plan has no indoor firing range and no garage, though the goal is secured parking for squad cars.

Questions about cost and timing

Ald. William Malecki questioned spending up to $118,000 before the city knows where residents stand, suggesting the city could first put out word of a scaled-back budget. Voigt said the contract sets a ceiling, not a guaranteed cost, and that new drawings are needed to answer engineering and building-size questions.

Malecki also noted that the budget figure in the architect's agreement had changed between the first version of the packet and an updated one. Voigt said the first draft had some outdated language.

Ald. Dean Kilburg asked whether the work could finish in time for a spring ballot, estimating the deadline to file a question at around Jan. 15. Voigt said the outreach materials would lay out possible timelines. "What I want to make very clear is that no decisions have been made," she said.

The architect's goal is to deliver an updated concept report by the end of 2026 or early 2027, according to the agreement.

Ald. Mark Reinecke said he supported the approach and expects residents to raise traffic, location and funding questions as the plan moves ahead.

$219 a year on a $400,000 home

For a home with a market value of $400,000, the city estimates the bonds would add $219 a year to the property tax bill, or about $18 a month, over 20 years. The estimate rises to $277 a year for a $500,000 home. The city's website has a tax impact calculator for other values.

The $39 million is the most the city could borrow, not a set amount to spend, the FAQ says.

Open houses Nov. 30 and Dec. 18

Voigt told the council Monday that the city plans two open houses: Monday, Nov. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 18, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The city says meeting dates, times and locations will be posted at geneva.il.us/publicsafety.

The city is also sending a mailer to homes, and the survey is planned for mid to late December, Voigt said. Residents will be able to answer by mail or online.

The City Council's next regular meeting is Monday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at 109 James St.