Roseburg City Council Rejects $622,000 Public Safety Center Improvement Project Following Debate Over Cost and Need

ROSEBURG, Ore. - The Roseburg City Council voted against a proposed $622,000 renovation of unfinished office space at the Public Safety Center during its Monday, November 9, meeting, following an extended discussion about the city's need for additional workspace, the project's cost and whether other options should be explored.

The proposal would have completed approximately 1,800 square feet of unfinished space on the building's third floor, creating additional offices for city employees and providing room for future staffing needs.

Councilors raised questions about how the space would be used, whether the city had adequately evaluated alternatives and whether the expenditure should be prioritized alongside other community needs.

The motion failed with three councilors voting in favor, four opposed and Councilor Jason Tate abstaining.

A Project Years in the Making

The Public Safety Center was completed in 2009, but approximately 1,800 square feet on the third floor remained unfinished because of funding limitations at the time.

The space currently has insulation, limited electrical power and lighting. The proposed improvements would have converted it into general office space with an open floor plan, modular workstations and an individual office.

According to city staff, the finished area could accommodate approximately 13 employees.

The project also included converting an existing 300-square-foot storage room into two single-occupant restroom and shower facilities. The showers would provide access for city employees using an existing fitness room, as police and fire personnel already have shower facilities within their respective departments.

The project has been discussed several times in recent years.

In February 2022, the City Council considered using American Rescue Plan Act funding to develop the project. In June 2024, councilors authorized staff to proceed with design work and bidding.

However, the Council rejected a $455,000 construction bid in November 2024.

The project returned as part of the city's adopted 2026-2028 goals, which included improving the Public Safety Center's third-floor space to address operational needs.

The Cost of Finishing the Third Floor

The city received one qualifying bid for the overall construction project, submitted by S+B James Construction Management for $622,000.

That amount exceeded the architect's estimate of $604,203.

Staff identified approximately $31,000 in possible savings through modifications to the original construction plans, including changes to restroom finishes, cabinetry and heating and cooling controls.

Those changes would have reduced the construction contract to approximately $591,000.

Including building code updates, construction management, permitting and contingency funding, the estimated total project cost was $669,600.

The city's adopted budget included $600,000 from the General Fund for the project, with additional money available through the Facility Replacement Fund.

During the meeting, Public Works Director Ryan Herinckx explained that some of the construction expenses were associated with working inside an existing building.

He said the heating and cooling portion alone was estimated at more than $120,000, while plumbing work accounted for approximately $75,000.

Materials would also need to be transported to the third floor, creating additional labor expenses because the building's elevator cannot be used as a freight elevator.

Councilors Question Whether the Need Has Been Established

Several councilors questioned whether the city had demonstrated a sufficient need to justify the expenditure.

Councilor Ellen Porter asked why the improvements needed to happen now and whether the city had explored leasing existing office space elsewhere in Roseburg.

Staff acknowledged that a formal comparison between renovating the Public Safety Center and leasing another location had not been completed.

Interim City Manager Gary Klopfenstein explained that City Hall is already experiencing space limitations, including employees sharing offices and other staff working in areas not originally intended for their departments.

City officials also discussed the possibility of establishing a municipal building division in the future, although a feasibility evaluation has not yet been completed.

Staff emphasized that the third-floor improvements were not dependent on creating a building division and had been under consideration before that possibility was introduced.

Councilor Zack Weiss questioned whether the city should complete the renovations before determining precisely how the space would be used.

He also asked why the project was estimated to cost more than $600,000 for an area comparable in size to some residential homes.

Staff explained that commercial building requirements, mechanical systems, plumbing and working within an existing structure contributed to the cost.

Porter suggested the incoming city manager, Anette Spickard, should have an opportunity to evaluate the proposal before the city made such a substantial investment.

She also expressed concern about the timing of the decision as the Council prepares for changes in its membership.

City Staff Explain Their Workspace Challenges

During the discussion, city employees described some of the difficulties created by limited office space.

Special Projects Coordinator Jennifer Bragg explained that sharing an office can complicate meetings requiring privacy and concentration.

She described a meeting earlier that day with the Oregon Law Center during which she had to repeatedly adjust her headphones while sharing workspace with another employee.

Bragg also recalled moving between offices with a cart of work materials when she first joined the city because permanent office space was unavailable.

She said having appropriate workspace can affect employees' ability to perform their responsibilities and provide information to the Council.

Staff clarified that while the proposed third-floor space would primarily consist of cubicles, relocating some employees could free existing private offices elsewhere in city facilities.

The Council also discussed whether employees could work from leased offices using the city's computer network.

Klopfenstein said the city's primary network infrastructure is located at the Public Safety Center, making it more straightforward to accommodate employees within an existing city building.

He acknowledged that remote network access is possible but said security, connectivity, backup power, and ongoing leasing expenses would need to be considered.

Councilors Discuss Other Community Priorities

The discussion also turned to whether the renovation should take priority over other city projects.

Councilor Tom Michalek expressed concern about how residents might view a nearly $700,000 investment in office space while Roseburg continues addressing homelessness.

Michalek acknowledged that city employees work hard and face space limitations but questioned whether the city should move forward with the expansion at this time.

Councilor Ruth Smith raised similar concerns about the progress of other Council priorities, including efforts involving the city's Navigation Center.

Smith questioned why the Public Safety Center project was advancing while other initiatives previously requested by councilors had not progressed as quickly.

Weiss also expressed concern about committing the money before evaluating other options.

He suggested that leasing office space could potentially provide a less expensive alternative, at least until the city better understands its long-term staffing requirements.

Councilor Andrea Zielinski offered a different perspective.

She noted that the city already owns the Public Safety Center and has unfinished space available for additional offices.

Zielinski questioned the value of spending money to lease and improve a separate property when the city could instead invest in a building it already owns.

Mayor Larry Rich also reminded councilors that the third-floor improvements were included in the goals they previously adopted.

Rich said city staff had followed the direction provided by the Council, developed the project and returned with a construction proposal as requested.

He emphasized that the Council remained free to approve or reject the contract but said staff should be recognized for carrying out the work they had been directed to complete.

Jason Tate Explains His Decision to Abstain

One of the final moments of the discussion came when Councilor Jason Tate declined to vote either for or against the proposal.

After the initial show of hands, Mayor Rich asked Tate about his decision to abstain.

Tate explained that he was conflicted because he had not participated in the earlier goal-setting discussion that established the third-floor improvements as a Council priority.

He said he generally believes that when an organization establishes goals, develops a budget and creates a plan, it should follow through on those commitments.

At the same time, Tate acknowledged the concerns raised about the substantial expense involved.

Speaking about his approach to established goals, Tate said:

"Me, professionally, I want to say I set a goal, I'm gonna finish it. So, I mean, that's what goals are for."

But Tate also recognized the competing considerations, including the amount of public money being discussed and concerns voiced by fellow councilors.

His comments reflected the difficulty he described in choosing between following through on an existing Council goal and weighing questions about the project's cost and necessity.

Tate ultimately abstained rather than supporting or opposing the contract.

Council Rejects the Contract

Following the discussion, the Council considered a motion to award the Public Safety Center third-floor improvements contract to S+B James Construction Management for $622,000, with the identified $31,000 in cost savings.

The motion failed by a vote of 3-4, with Tate abstaining.

The decision means the proposed construction contract was not awarded.

It was the second time in two years that the Council rejected a construction bid for the unfinished third-floor space.

City staff had explained that the contractor was unwilling to hold its pricing beyond the current bidding period because of changing material costs.

The Council did not approve an alternative construction proposal during Monday's meeting.

The unfinished space remains available for future consideration, but additional Council action would be needed before the proposed improvements could move forward.

For now, the discussion leaves unresolved questions about how Roseburg will accommodate current employees, prepare for potential staffing growth and balance those needs against other projects competing for city resources.