Mineral Wells Area News

MINERAL WELLS, Texas – City officials are considering a multimillion-dollar renovation project to address aging police and fire facilities that have been deemed inadequate for over two decades.

Last year the council hired Brown Reynolds & Watford Architects(BRW) to analyze the existing law enforcement building as well as Fire Station #1 to perform a comprehensive feasibility study for improving the facilities utilized by first responders.

BRW’s summary study proposed three tiers of solutions for the problem, with the third tier coming in the most expensive. Tier 3 called for the construction of a brand new Public Safety Complex that would cost close to $28 million.

Tier 3 was deemed infeasible according to city leaders because of the price tag and was merely presented to illustrate a cost comparison of a similar facility proposed to city residents in 2019. The cost estimate of a new facility rose by $9 million in just five years, highlighting the need for the city to seek a solution sooner than later.

While Tier 3 calls for the construction of a brand new building, Tier 1 & Tier 2 solutions both call for the renovation and reconstruction of existing facilities. The renovations would convert two city buildings – the Perdue Memorial Training Facility and the Water Distribution/Facility Maintenance Building – into modernized spaces for the police and fire departments respectively.

The two potential renovation tiers have estimated costs ranging from $12 million to $14.5 million. The more extensive Tier 2 plan would include additional office space, expanded parking, and improved separation between departments and would allow for expansion as the community grows.

As City officials began to look at the Tier 1 and Tier 2 solutions, they asked Fire Chief Ryan Dunn and Police Chief Tim Denison to present them with a potential debt schedule of the proposed plans at the January 21st city council meeting.

“That got very real, very quick looking at these numbers,” said Councilman Carlos Maldonado after reviewing some of the potential financial details. “But it’s something that everybody up here would probably agree, that it is absolutely necessary. It needs to continue to move forward.”

City officials are weighing whether to fund the project through certificate of obligation bonds(CO), which don’t require voter approval, or general obligation bonds(GO) that would go to a public vote. The certificate route would allow construction to begin much sooner, even as early as October 2025.

Maldonado said he is looking forward to the next stage of the project as more detailed budgetary plans are presented. “It’s not so much what the numbers look like or the financials of it, but how we are going to pay for it and what effects it’s going to have on the taxpayers and the tax rate,” he stated.

There is no doubt first responders need better working spaces which will also aid in the recruitment and retention of employees. Chief Denison highlighted current space constraints, noting that the department’s patrol room is just “12 by 12” and inadequate for shift changes and briefings. The existing evidence storage area also poses security concerns.

“We can’t become an accredited agency through the Texas Police Chiefs Association until we have adequate facilities,” Denison said.

“The men and women who serve this community deserve more,” stated Denison during recent discussions with Mineral Wells Area News. “These facilities have been talked about for 50 years, and it’s time to move forward on this. The men and women who are serving this community deserve better working conditions.”

Council members expressed support for addressing the infrastructure needs but requested detailed analysis of tax implications before proceeding. Early estimates suggest annual debt service payments could reach approximately $1 million.

“The timeline makes more sense to line it up with the budgeting process,”said one council member, noting a tax increase would likely be necessary to fund the improvements.

Aside from the facility size constraints that keep detectives and patrol officers as well as administrators working in separate buildings, the police station’s current conditions include asbestos, mold, and non-ADA compliant access. On the fire department side, leaders notate inadequate sleeping facilities for staff as well as fire gear storage failing to meet safety standards due to space limitations.

“When state inspectors come, they feel sorry for us,” Fire Chief Dunn said, describing makeshift solutions for gear storage that don’t meet proper safety protocols. Dunn also mentioned his department’s largest apparatus is unable to be housed at the downtown station and says that is really important for public safety protocols.

“Now is the time,” stated Dunn. “We are in a good place, equipment wise for the next five years and won’t need any big purchases so this is the time to address the facilities.”

If approved, construction could take over a year for completion, though officials note timeline estimates are preliminary and subject to change based on the funding mechanism chosen. The council is expected to review detailed financial impact analyses before making a final decision on how to proceed with the long-awaited upgrades.

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