“We’ve had closets that were storage closets that we’re now using as offices,” said Chief Podany. “We have people who don’t have workspace right now who are just using common areas.”
He also said the department is low on space to store evidence and items that were stolen and have since been seized as investigations continue.
“We are restricted by state statute and by case law that says how long we have to keep items of evidence,” he said. “We are out of space, literally.”
But the good news is that city leaders two decades ago insisted on building a brand-new city hall then that included three levels. The third level has been left unfinished since the building opened in 2002, and that’s about to change. City Council this month approved a $4 million construction plan that should start in April and wrap up by the end of the year.
According to City Manager Michelle Wolfe, some employees in a variety of departments will move in to finished office and work spaces on the third floor once work is completed later this year, while the second floor is renovated to house more community spaces and a renovated and expanded police department.
“If you can imagine if we now had to build a separate police station, because they’d outgrown their space, or if we had to add the third floor now, that would be significantly more expensive than what we’re doing,” said Wolfe.
She also said that community spaces would increase, and the customer service desk in the lobby would remain.
“It will be staffed by members of multiple departments so they can either help you and you’re done–or point you in the right direction,” said Wolfe.
The bottom line is to keep city departments functioning the best they can to best serve Blaine’s growing residential and business population, she said.
“We want to be an employer of choice,” said Wolfe. “We want to be a welcoming place where we can attract really good employees to work for the city of Blaine in the future and retain the good employees we have now.”
