By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Police Services Board Chair Adam Bureau fielded a motion at Wednesday’s special council meeting to create a task force for the Cobourg Police Service Facility Needs Assessment and Accommodation Options.
This is a looking-forward thing, Bureau insisted, not a call for immediate construction.
“I thought it would be prudent to get the ball rolling, create a task force to identify where it could possibly go,” the councillor said.
“My thought on my part, Venture 13 would be a possible location but, to me, this is just the very starting point, a basic task force.”
The police already have part of their operations on the second floor at that location, including their business services division.
Given the election next year, Bureau added, it’s a good document to leave the incoming council
“Have you given any thought as to the membership of the task force?” Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty asked.
“I am open to any suggestions,” Bureau said.
“I believe somebody from the police service should be on there and definitely town staff. We could have a report back from staff on how it would work – I am okay with any of those things.”
The current police station was built as an armoury in 1904, he pointed out.
“To me, we do need a new one.”
As for the task force, “the ideal outcome would be to identify a new piece of land or one we already have for a new site.”
The motion was to have a staff report back to council on the terms and composition of the proposed task force.
Mayor Lucas Cleveland said it’s important the task force also tackle how to fund a project that might run to $40-million.
“I would hope the provincial and Federal government does step up and help with it,” Bureau agreed.
“The province has been issuing money to the OPP – I would hope that they help the Town of Cobourg and Cobourg Police Service fund this new building as well. Absolutely that would be part of the task force.”
Bureau also agreed with another suggestion from the mayor – to plan for something that could accommodate future needs and contingencies, such as the advent of a regional police force.
Councillor Miriam Mutton was uneasy with specifying that the Venture 13 building must be considered, which – Bureau suggested – could result in current business tenants at the site being relocated to the vacated former police headquarters.
The Venture 13 building was constructed in the 1950s as an administration office for the former army supply depot that became Northam Industrial Park and, after the base was closed, used for a time by the board of education as an administrative building. Specific mention of its consideration was taken out of the motion before the motion passed.
