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Little progress to report —  This about sums up any news out of last week’s Lakes Area Police Commission meeting.  

The  commission was following up on findings by a subcommittee directed to analyze the results of a report from a consultant  hired by Lindstrom to scrutinize the re-use of Lindstrom Community Center/city hall to address law enforcement needs.  The consultants checked out the available square footage and existing structural conditions and systems, and declared the project had potential.  There were general estimates on claiming the community space for police functions and only using the city hall footprint, leaving the big events hall untouched for continued public activities.

The City of Lindstrom paid for this retrofit advice. 

Chisago City, which shares the Lakes Area Department budget 50-50 has not supported this concept, which is a 180-degree turn off the path where the commission has pursued a new generation public safety facility for about a decade.

Last week the full police commission opted to expand the 2024 re-use analysis and bring in Kraus Anderson to calculate costs on specific Lakes Area Police needs.  

The vote was 4-0 to have  Kraus Anderson construction/general contracting firm   continue working with the subcommittee.  This process has a cap of $20,000.

Chair Jeremy Dresel commented that the police commission wants “a solution (answer to space needs) sooner than later.”  

He said the subcommittee consisting of himself and Lindstrom Mayor Judy Chartrand, along with  the two city administrators, meeting with the Leo Daly consulting firm, were “very productive”  in their breakout discussions. But questions still haven’t been answered.

Police Chief Bill Schlumbohm added that  aspects of a re-use project— like access and improvements/ paving and a secure sallyport addition, “...were not given a lot of time” in the city hall study.  

Kraus Anderson had advised the commission earlier in the process and the Chief suggested they be brought back.  Kraus Anderson is knowledgeable on materials pricing, labor costs and real world project budgets, the Chief stated.   The team was put on the back burner, though, when the makeup of the police commission changed after elections a couple years ago and two new representatives for Lindstrom came onto the commission.

Also, a few million in state bonding aid  wasn’t  approved by the legislature (twice) as was hoped for, and still is not expected out of this 2025 legislative session either.

Lindstrom withdrew its initial promised $3 million share of a new facility for budgetary reasons. Officials also argued for housing a continued physical police presence in the city. 

Police facility planning adjusted to proposals within a budget of closer to $4 million (minus the state aid.)  

Lindstrom then pressed for a look at utilizing city hall instead of the police commission’s planned location on Karmel Avenue next to the Chisago City Fire Hall. So, this is where it’s at.

Lakes Area Police came out of a merger in 2004 of Chisago City P.D. and Lindstrom Police.  Chief Kevin Stenson, became the lead official and Chisago City’s Bill Schlumbohm,  became deputy chief.  Stenson has since retired and Schlumbohm accepted the chief position.  The calls for service have run close to equal, and in the past three years ran from about 2,600 per city area to 2,800 annually per city area.

The main operations are on the north end of Lindstrom City Hall space, which the department has outgrown over 20 years. There is an impound lot and a field office in Chisago City and an already city-owned parcel next to the fire hall on Karmel Avenue, was identified as a preferred location to build a new public safety facility.

 

      

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