“I am asking you to call your councilman. Ask them to invest in the safety of our community. Ask them to invest in the welfare of its employees. Ask them to approve the purchase of the Clare Street property, giving your Police Department the minimal facilities they deserve, a facility that will promote an enhanced level of service to our community,” Horner said. “If you would rather, please send an e-mail to me, expressing your support of the purchase of the Clare Street property, so that I may forward it to members of Portsmouth City Council.”
In his open letter to the citizens of Portsmouth, Horner wrote, “As many of you know, I am the chief of police of the Portsmouth Police Department. I ordered the closing of the physical location of the Police Department as a result of a second ‘order to vacate’ ... Numerous employees have been experiencing sinus and respiratory problems as a result of mold within in the department. I also have been experiencing the same symptoms. The order to vacate indicated that the location of the Portsmouth Police Department was a ‘serious hazard’ and I believe it to be a life/safety issue.”
In his correspondence, Horner mentioned the deteriorating condition of the Portsmouth city building, reminding citizens that it was built in 1934.
“As a result of time and neglect, the building suffers from insufficient electrical service, inefficient heating and air systems, structural deterioration, water infiltration, construction, which is not conducive to technology improvements, and foremost an unhealthy work environment. Mold permeates the Police Department. Asbestos is present,” Horner said.
Horner said after the initial order to vacate he began to look at buildings in the area, and was asked by Fourth Ward City Councilman Jerrold Albrecht to look at the ACI Heating and Air property on Clare Street. He toured the facility and found it fit the needs of the department. Horner said the asking price for that building is $460,000, compared to $2 million for the building he had first considered, the former Scioto County Juvenile Detention Center.
“As a result, I had 14 employees of the Police Department visit the location, to include sworn officers and civilians,” Horner said. “Every employee indicated they believed the location would be an excellent location for the Portsmouth Police Department. To date, I have not had any employee express displeasure with the possibility of relocation to Clare Street.”
Horner said if an agreement can be reached, he would be ready to move into the facility immediately.
“There is the potential that Portsmouth City Council may not approve the purchase of the Clare Street property as a home for the Portsmouth Police Department. The asking price of $460,000 far exceeds remodeling of other locations or the cost of new construction. I believe, that in the past, we have spent in excess of $2,000,000 in housing the Health Department in the old AEP building on Washington Street,” Horner said. “We spent $2,000,000 on the Martings’ Building. We spent approximately $1,000,000 on a ladder-truck. We spent as much on garbage trucks with murals. But, yet we consider not approving $460,000 on a home for our police officers, an investment in their health, welfare and productivity. I submit to you that this is absurd. The Police Department deserves a contemporary, state-of-the-art facility. However, given today’s environment, we asked for, at minimum, for a foundation to build upon.”
Horner said he is asking all citizens to attend Monday night’s Portsmouth City Council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Portsmouth city building.
Frank Lewis may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.
Yes, they need a home for the department, and they should have moved after the building was condemned the 1st time. I no longer live in city limits, but if they did have a fund raiser to help pay for a new building, where ever that may be, I would donate whatever I could.
@JohnSmith201056 - it doesn't matter about the location of the police department, as long as the building is free of health causing issues. If crime is going to happen, it's going to happen, police presence or not.
Why would have been done?
If I can take a page from Chief Horner's book... "I submit to you" that Horner's reasoning is seriously flawed. He "believes" the city spent $2,000,000 on the Health Dept. building. The City spent $2,000,000 on the Marting's building, fully well knowing, the $2,000,000 would be used to redevelop the downtown and also be used to remodel the Marting's building. $1,000,000 on a ladder truck - apples to oranges. And I can't even imagine the city spent $1,000,000 on a garbage truck with murals. Horner is grasping at straws to push his personal agenda.
He is not looking at practical measures to resolve the alleged mold issue. This whole episode is simply about Chief Horner's "it's all about me" legacy.
Well is all this money coming from?
Question 2!
If you want this building so much can't you hold fund raisers for it?
Question 3!
If someone buying a home everything has to up to code. Why doesn't the same go for you?
For the money you want to spend, you could clean the old building and update it.
over public safety.in portsmouth and new boston tell me is it in the orc. ohio advisory code.
According to county auditor records, the auditor has the property on Clare Street valued at $228,430.00 and was purchased by the present owners in 2005 for $220,000.
What justifies an increase to $460,000.00???
There is a vacant commercial building at 621 Broadway Street offered for sale for $339,000.00.
Has this property been considered???
This is a newer brick building formerly used by the Veteran's with plenty of office space. There is also a fenced parking lot across the street for police parking. Although smaller than the Clare Street property, I would think that this building would be plenty big enough for our police department and would place them in a neighborhood that is high in crime including prostitution, robberies, and drug dealing. Wouldn't the visible presence of the police be a huge deterrent to crime rather than having them at the end of a dead-street at the north end of town???
Another question that comes to my mind is what will be the process of having the building appraised prior to purchase???
Let us all hope that it won't be the same fiaso as the one prior to purchase of the Marting's building.
In my opinion, any further purchases by the city should be preceded by an appraisal by an honest out-of-town appraiser firm with no connections to our city.