We recently took the tour with Public Safety Director (Matthew) Buckley, of the Riverside Fire and Police facilities.  It was an interesting tour.  

The director knew a lot of Riverside history.  He was very personable.  And we met some interesting neighbors.   

More importantly, it was eye opening how dated and substandard the first responders’ buildings are. The living accommodations for the fire department and paramedic personnel were makeshift at best.  The jail cells were unusable.  The police department was largely located in a moldy, dark basement.  The training facilities were dilapidated. 

Frankly, we were amazed we have been able to attract and retain good police officers and fire and paramedic personnel under these kind of conditions.  It will be hard to maintain the kind of high-quality Public Safety Departments that we demand, unless we provide responsible facilities.  If you take the tour, you will agree that not many of us would agree to work in such deplorable conditions.  And you will also see that the very old structures are not susceptible of rehab at any reasonable cost. 

I also read over the presentation on the new Public Safety building design and cost that the village put on its website.  It was easy to follow.  The buildings will be something that we will be proud to have in the center of our town. 

Of course, it’s the cost that is on every taxpayer’s mind.  The estimated cost of the facility may seem high.  But after spending many years working in the real estate development business, I concluded the cost for a building this size is reasonable. And according to the architects, who do a lot of this work, the cost per square foot is comparable to what neighboring communities have incurred. 

We are going to be asked to approve a referendum to borrow money to pay for the new facilities and to pay taxes that will pay the debt.  No one wants higher taxes.  But an excellent Public Safety Department is part of what keeps Riverside unique, growing and desirable.  A safe community allows our home property values to keep growing.  We think it’s in our interest to approve the referendum when it comes up. 

We encourage you to take the tour and look at the website presentation.