When they’re not in the field, taking care of the municipal water system or plowing snow from the streets, Basalt’s public works team is spread out across five different buildings. Its main hub, on the west side of Old Town Basalt, is an old manufactured building with just enough space for a few desks and storage for equipment like water meters.
Public Works Director Justin Forman said the situation right now is not ideal.
“The Town of Basalt has grown tremendously over the last 20 some years,” he said. “Some of our facilities, they haven't been touched in over 30. So we want to keep pace with the operations just as much as the community's growing.”
Similarly, the town’s police department works out of a shared building that it said presents security risks and operational obstacles.
The town has an idea it thinks will help: building a new facility to house both departments. To fill an $18 million funding gap, the town is looking for additional tax dollars. At a meeting Tuesday night, Basalt’s town council voted unanimously to put an initiative on the November ballot to increase its sales tax by 0.5%.
If passed by Basalt voters this fall, the sales tax increase is projected to raise $1.5 million annually, according to a presentation from Basalt’s finance director, Doug Pattison, at a July 14 town council meeting.
To reach the town’s goal of generating $18 million toward the new facility, the tax increase would have to be in place for about 12 years. The town projects the facility will cost about $25 million total, the rest of which will mostly come from the general fund.
If the ballot initiative doesn’t pass, the town plans to borrow about $5 million for the project, but it would still have to find another funding source to cover the rest.
Basalt Police Chief Aaron Munch said the current police department facility presents several problems for the department, starting right in the lobby. A fingerprint station used for registering sex offenders, a prescription drug drop box, and waiting room chairs are all in the same space.
“There can be conflicts, and those concern us obviously,” Munch said. “The whole space, for us, is not very welcoming.”
Munch said the space is too small for its 14 employees. Right next to the room where officers take meetings, eat lunch and go over cases, there’s a small room sometimes used to interview crime victims. A small, tan device by the door frame plays white noise, to keep conversations private.
He said the problem came up just the other day, when a victim of sexual assault came in while officers were working right on the other side of the door.
“It's not very sensitive and not very victim-focused,” Munch said of the current setup. “There's no separation, so we really want to have more of that … a space that people can let their guard down and just help them through some of the trauma they're dealing with.”
The evidence processing equipment is another concern for Munch. Right now, evidence is stored in old gym lockers with standard padlocks. In another room, boxes are piled floor-to-ceiling with case files, bullets and guns. The department also shares its parking lot with other offices in the building, so arrestees sometimes pass by office employees when they’re brought through the back door.
“When we bring an arrestee inside, they may interact with people that can be ornery at times,” Munch said. “It's something that we try to avoid, but it's kind of unavoidable without a secure lot back here.”
Munch said he thinks a new facility would benefit Basalt residents by creating a better department, and in turn, attracting higher-quality police officers.
“Having the best would bring the best,” Munch said.
For Forman, a centralized location would help public works better communicate with the police department and reach emergency situations faster.
He said the new facility could also serve as an emergency shelter and a community space for outreach events.
“[We] really see an opportunity for even more of the public having another space to interact with the town.”
Basalt residents can vote on the initiative in the Nov. 4 election by mail-in ballot or at Basalt Town Hall.
