West U officials to look at options for new public safety facilities

West University Place officials said it is time for the city to address its public safety departments’ facility needs.

The overview

At the March 23 City Council meeting, city officials discussed which facilities should be prioritized. During the meeting, public safety officials identified several issues with their current facilities.

The issues did not violate laws, West U Fire Chief James Novak said, but do not meet the standards for the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit that publishes over 300 codes and standards to minimize fire and other hazardous risks.

“We have [on the list of needs], for instance, fire-dedicated restrooms and locker rooms,” Novak said. “There was no specific NFPA standard there. However, we do share that with the police department, and so fire doesn’t have their own dedicated lockers in the restroom.”

Other identified issues that the department lacks, according to the fire department, include:

Properly sized apparatus bay doorsAdditional storageA decontamination roomEmergency operation suppliesElevator access to the second floorWeight and cardio roomWatch room for emergency call responsesLaundry facilitiesTraining and meeting roomEmergency Medical Services exam roomMore details

West U’s Police Department also listed its deficiencies, including rooms for roll call, an expanded dispatch area and increased parking for a larger fleet size. The full list includes:

Expanded criminal investigation areaExpanded 911 dispatch areaExpanded locker room improvementsAdditional storageIncreased parking for a larger fleet sizeIncreased parking for additional employeesSquad/roll call roomDedicated break room/kitchenAdditional office space for operationsExpanded report writing roomAdditional administration and support spaceHow we got here

In December 2021, the city of West U implemented a Facilities Master Plan that includes four phases.

Phase 1: New Public Works facility, expected to be completed this spring.Phase 2: New senior center, community building and library. This phase is on hold pending the review of the Facilities Utilization Task Force and City Council. Another part of this phase includes making improvements to the recreation center, which is underway.Phase 3: Originally planned for a new fire station, but was changed in November 2024 to relocate City Hall functions to the site of the current senior center, community building and library.Phase 4: Public safety building renovations and reconstruction. This phase is currently on hold. Originally, it was planned to be a joint building that housed the police station and City Hall functions, as well as bringing Public Works Administration, Community Development and Information Technology back on-site.Mayor Susan Sample said the discussion on the need for improved public facilities is important, but it keeps getting put on the back burner.

“I do think that we’re looking to improve fire and police, not just the facilities, but the staff,” Sample said. “Whatever it is, at the moment, we do have a lot going on in West U, so I just think this is something that should be on the top of our minds.”

The discussion

Council member Clay Brett said adequate public safety facilities have been a concern of residents for a while, yet they still have not been addressed in the Facilities Master Plan.

“I think that these items are important enough for the city that I would be totally comfortable reviewing the options for the library and community center if we develop a path forward for the police, fire department and City Hall that meets and addresses the deficiencies of those city functions, because they’re so critical to what we do,” Brett said.

Stay tuned

After a lengthy discussion and the presentation of options to consider for new facility designs, City Council requested that the public safety department conduct a feasibility study to present to council at a later date.