Boeke: Current public safety proposal is a ‘no’ vote

At least one current city councilor plans to vote against the Owatonna public safety facilities ballot measure, which would approve issuing up to $65 million worth of bonds to build new police and fire stations.

Councilmember Dan Boeke said he plans to vote against the ballot measure. He’s not alone. Several other candidates vying for city council seats have also indicated they will vote against the proposal.

“I am glad all taxpayers will get to vote on the proposal this November,” Boeke told the Steele County Times as part of his response to this week’s election series question.

“I feel the current proposal, including the West Hills site for the police building, will cause me to vote in the negative,” he said.

Boeke has voiced objections in the past to the cost of the projects, but in March joined the rest of the council in adopting a five-year Capital Improvement Plan to continue to advance the public safety projects.

The project has sparked public outcry – specifically, because the city originally had no plans to allow a public vote. 

A group of citizens was able to collect more than 2,700 signatures on a so-called reverse referendum petition, which forced the city to put the question on the ballot, come back with a revised plan – or stop all activities for one full year. 

The group needed only 721 signatures. 

The plan is to build the new police station on the West Hills Campus, a city-owned 40-acre parcel of land that was once home to the State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children. About 11,000 children lived there from 1886 through 1946, when it closed.

The entire campus is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The two-pronged project calls for the Owatonna Police Department to move into a temporary facility on Bridge Street, tear down the existing police station and construct the new fire hall on that site.

Meanwhile, the new facility at West Hills would be built while the police occupy the Bridge Street building.

All the answers of city council candidates who responded can be found on 12A. 

Reporters Kay Fate and Rick Bussler contributed to this report.