UMATILLA — Umatilla residents will decide whether to fund a new police station in a special election in May.

The Umatilla Police Department and the city of Umatilla hosted an open house April 29 concerning Bond Measure 30-167 that would finance the station, if voters approve it.

About 30 members of the public attended the open house that included tours of the police station and presentations from city officials about the project.

“The current building and facility is outdated and inefficient and can’t be retrofitted to meet our needs,” Umatilla Police Chief Ron Bridge said.

State of the police station

The Umatilla Police Department operates out of a 5,700 square foot triple-wide facility that is more than 40 years old and was originally intended as the city’s administration space.

A tour of the building showed a cramped space for the UPD’s 14 full-time officers and three full-time civilian staff that lacks the modern safety, security and technology features law enforcement needs.

“Victims, suspects and employees all have the right to safety when working for and with, or who are in the custody of the Umatilla Police Department,” Bridge said.

The building has no dedicated space to meet privately and securely with victims, witnesses or suspects, and lacks adequate storage for evidence and records. Technologically, the station only has two computers for officers to write reports and work on.

Proposed new station

Plans for a new UPD station have been in the works since 2021 when city officials prioritized the project.

The new station would be a 14,000 square foot purpose-dedicated space, with modern digital infrastructure that would include adequate, secure office space, modern technological equipment and room to safely and securely store evidence and records, according to a presentation from Austin Zeitz, a project architect with Mckenzie, the firm that designed the station.

Resources for officers’ physical and mental health, such as a fitness and physical training space, locker room and wellness room, are also included in the new station, as are a sally port and secure booking area to ensure officer, equipment and suspect safety.

“Law enforcement is very competitive, with officers transferring from department to department for higher pay,” Bridge said. “This new station will help UPD retain staff.”

The new station would include a large community space for meetings, events and emergency management operations.

The current station will remain operational until construction of the new facility is complete, at which point it will be torn down and become public parking for the new facility.

Financing a new station

“There’s a need and we’re building a new police station,” Umatilla City Manager David Stockdale said at the open house.

The only uncertainty is how construction of the new station will be funded, with two options available, Bond Measure 30-167 or a full-faith and credit loan.

The total project budget for the new Umatilla Police station is estimated at almost $22.2 million according to the city, with total financed costs estimated at $19.8 million.

“It’s the timeline that’s not concrete,” said Melissa Ince, city Finance and Administrative Service director. “If the bond fails there will be a four-to-eight-month delay until the full-faith and credit loan option takes effect.”

Several resources on the need for a new police station and the two funding options, including a video to help inform voters before the special election, are available online through the city of Umatilla.

Bond Measure 30-167

Voters in Umatilla will approve or reject Bond Measure 30-167, that would authorize property taxes to be used to fund the new station, if passed.

The $19.8 million general obligation bond would have a 20-year term and be paid for by an estimated 27 cents property tax per $1,000 of assessed property value annually.

According to the city, the average property taxpayer would pay an extra $2.85 a month, or $35 a year if the bond passes.

Under the bond, corporations in the enterprise zone (a special designated area where businesses can be given incentives to encourage growth) would pay $14.50 for every dollar paid by a Umatilla taxpayer.

If the bond is passed, construction on the new UPD Station could begin by the fall of 2025, according to Ince.

The new station would be occupied by late 2026 and the project fully completed, including demolition of the existing station by the spring of 2027.

Full-faith and credit loan

If voters reject the measure, Umatilla plans to pursue a full-faith and credit loan to finance construction of the new police station.

Under this option, the financed amount would still be $19.8 million, however, the funding would come out of the city’s general fund, rather than from property taxes.

Annual debt service payments on the loan would come to about $1.5 million, according to City officials, which would be paid from the general fund and could cause reductions in other services.

Umatilla’s general fund covers costs, such as municipal court, code enforcement, parks and recreation and other community service or capital improvement projects.

Funds from enterprise zone corporations would not be available under the loan option, according to city officials.

Growing pains

“As the community grows, our need grows,” Chief Bridge said.

Around 90 new homes are built in Umatilla each year, according to Stockdale, and the city’s population is expected to increase by 25% by 2030.

The property tax of 27 cents per $1,000 included in Bond Measure 30-167 is based on assessed property value. According to the Umatilla County Assessor’s Office, the average assessed property value for homes within the city of Umatilla is $127,630.

Umatilla residents can find out the assessed value of their property online through the County Assessor’s Office.

According to Stockdale, UPD and the city have tried to be forward-thinking and designed the new station to keep up with expected growth until at least 2045.

The Umatilla community

Community members had the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns about the project by asking questions at the open house.

Questions ranged from how the potential growth of Umatilla and the assessed property values were calculated to how the new station would compare to Hermiston’s and to whether the $19.8 million price tag was too much.

The voters of Umatilla in the May 20 special election ultimately decide how the new UPD station is funded.