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The four Lakes Area Police Commissioners met last week and set a new start time for their every-other-month meetings of 5:30 p.m.  (They have met at 6:30 p.m.)  The meetings rotate between Chisago City Hall on even-numbered years and Lindstrom City Hall on odd-numbered years.  Because their meeting schedule is every-other-month the commissioners decided a subcommittee should be formed to look over the study on re-using Lindstrom City Hall.  The committee members can walk the site with officers, drill deeper into costs and materials.  Committee participants were not announced yet, but they will meet with more frequency than the LAPD commission does.  Meanwhile, Chisago City Council scheduled a workshop just for city council to hash out its issues, next week. (See Lani Freeman’s report on page 4.)

Lindstrom City Hall is the sole subject of a renovate and/or remodel concept the commission started reviewing in fall 2024,  as possible  police headquarters.   Lakes Area Police general operations are in need of space and storage and consultants have identified a host of operational improvements needed.  There has been on-going evaluation and planning for many years.  

The future facility designed for Chisago City has been on the governor’s bonding plan in two budget cycles, but has not landed in a finalized funding package.

The police commission decided to build a new public safety facility next to Chisago City Fire Hall, due to it being the most centrally positioned in the police service area. This project pitched to state lawmakers would run $8 to $9 million.

A newly elected slate of Lindstrom leaders, however, put the brakes on this project, using their power as half of the voting membership on the police commission. Lindstrom City Council then hired a  firm, Leo A Daly,  to analyze if it would be possible to reuse Lindstrom City Hall for Lakes Area Police instead of a newly-built structure.  The police main office is already located at the north end of city hall now.  There is an impound lot and satellite office in Chisago City.

The study to re-use Lindstrom city hall was based on the entire building being emptied of city administrative activities.

It is not known yet where the functions of city hall will be housed.

The Leo Daly company estimates in its study the costs for a “moderate” rehab and garage for police vehicles would be $4.9 million.  A “full investment” using the city hall shell plus adding garage space comes to $7.4 million.

Renovations could happen over time, the study points out —or the project could be wrapped up as soon as possible. “There is adequate square footage in the Lindstrom Municipal Building to serve the police department, with growth, into the future.”

Further refinement of the scope of the re-use of city hall awaits a decision by the police commission.

The Lakes Area Police Commission would need to acquire city hall.  This is an unresolved issue and has not been discussed by those involved. Chisago City two commissioners are jeremy Dresel and Mark Anderson. Lindstrom members are Judy Chartrand and Brian Norelius. 

The analysis for city hall re-use includes turning the community center large room into police use OR leaving it as-is.  (Square footage of 4,773 versus 5,422 square feet with the community center.) 

There also hasn’t been any public discussion of what the community center space could be replaced by.  It has been used for balloting, for musical events when weather at Lions Park concerts doesn’t cooperate and various civic organizations use the community center for meetings and presentations.

The site layout considers the addition of garage space to the north end of the city hall (where squads park now.) The secure garage alone is a $2.5 million project.

The “moderate” cost estimate in the study includes leaving the community center alone,  and a permanent structural wall would be installed where there is a bi-fold partition between spaces.

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