Residents want new police, fire buildings

With an election on the horizon, a handful of Bella Vista residents have gotten together to distribute information and highlight the need for new police and fire infrastructure.

The city council has approved an ordinance calling a special election on the questions of issuing bonds backed by a 1% sales tax to cover the construction costs of a new police department, a raze and rebuild of Fire Station 3 and a fire training facility, expected to be on the ballot during the March 3 primary election.

Bella Vista resident Billie Hall said that, after attending the Citizens Police Academy program, she became very aware that the Bella Vista Police Department needs a bigger and better space to work.

She co-chairs the Citizens Helping Improve Public Safety, or CHIPS group with Bella Vista resident and fellow citizen police graduate Dan Jeffrey.

“We’re here basically to educate the public on why we need these,” Hall said.

The group is planning to distribute brochures, videos and other materials, as well as host town hall meetings, with three scheduled for February, she explained, in addition to engaging residents on the web through social media and the group’s website, bvchips.itgo.com.

The committee can be reached by email at bv publicsafety.cox.net.

These ballot questions are important, Hall said, because they address needs the city has.

As a Highlands resident, Hall said she would really like to see Fire Station 3 expanded in order to host an additional ambulance, but right now the station is too small and can’t house enough firefighters to man more than the existing firetruck.

Jeffrey added that the police department right now simply isn’t adequate — it lacks space for current staff, let alone growth, and doesn’t have the features and security a police department needs. It’s not secure and safe enough, he said, and it cannot become ADA compliant or state-certified because of how dated it is.

The proposed public safety building, which includes the police department, dispatch center and court facility, should cover the department’s projected growth for 30 years and probably be usable a few decades beyond that.

“If we don’t start now, we’ll probably get behind,” he said.

It’s also worth noting that construction costs go up over time, he said, so doing it sooner saves money.

Fellow CHIPS member and citizens police academy graduate JB Portillo said she’s working on shows with Bella Vista Community Television to help highlight these needs.

It’s worth noting the sales tax is temporary — once the bonds are paid off, the tax goes away and can’t be reinstated without another vote, she said.

It’s not especially different from taking out a mortgage, she added.

“It’s a temporary thing and it’s for a good cause,” Portillo said.