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RESOLUTION NO. R-1314-70: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, APPROPRIATING $506,000 FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX FUND BALANCE TO PAY COSTS FOR PHYSICAL EVIDENCE STORAGE SOLUTION AND THE TRANSFER OF EXISTING EVIDENCE STORAGE EQUIPMENT, AND TO PURCHASE LABORATORY PROCESSING EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE, COPIER/PRINTER, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE, AND DIGITAL EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT FOR THE INTERVIEW AND INTERROGATION ROOMS OF THE CITY OF NORMAN INVESTIGATIONS CENTER.
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BACKGROUND: The fiscal year 2012-2013 (FYE 2013) Public Safety Sales Tax Fund budget included funding to renovate the City of Norman Investigations Center (formerly referred to as the Joe Smalley Center) for City of Norman use as the Police/Fire Investigations Facility. In April 2006 the City of Norman was notified that the Joe A. Smalley Army Reserve Center had been identified for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) and the City established a Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) to develop a reuse plan for the facility. The final recommendation of the LRA was to request that the facility be transferred to the City of Norman, and that the land and building be used for virtually all aspects of the City of Norman police and fire investigation activity, including administration, supervisors, investigators, the laboratory, property custody, and specialties for police and fire investigations, and eventually a patrol substation, training area, and special events facility. After a seven and a half year process, the building was acquired from the federal government with a deed transfer in September 2012. On July 9, 2013, City Council approved a contract with Downey Contracting, LLC in the amount of $1,325,500 for the renovation of the Norman Investigations Center, and the project is nearing completion.
DISCUSSION: The Police Department is requesting an appropriation to pay costs for a physical evidence storage solution and transfer of existing evidence storage equipment, and for the purchase of laboratory processing equipment, furniture, copier/printer, information technology hardware, and digital evidence management for interview and interrogation rooms in the City of Norman Investigations Center. The funding needed for these items is not available in FYE14 accounts. Additional agenda items to complete these purchases will be submitted to Council as required but this budget transfer will address the funding needs.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that $506,000 be appropriated from the PSST Fund Balance (account 015-0000-253.20-00) and allocated as follows:
$29,000 to PSST Lab Equipment (015-6121-421-5122);
$215,000 to PSST Office Furniture (015-6121-421-5201);
$150,000 to PSST Digital Evidence Management (015-6121-421-5304),
$86,000 to PSST Property Custody (015-6121-421-3101), and
$26,000 to PSST Personal Computer Misc. Equipment (015-6121-421-5302).