The city is preparing to move the Portsmouth Police Department back into the basement of the Municipal Building, from which they were evacuated last year to eradicate black mold. The department had been in several locations, during which time Portsmouth Police Chief Charles Horner had repeatedly asked for a separate facility for his department. City Council never took up the issue, and now, the cleanup job is winding down.

Portsmouth Mayor David Malone asked City Council on Monday to authorize $7,400 for the company that moved everything out to begin moving it all back in again.

Council will consider the proposal at its next legislative meeting.

Council on Monday also worked on two other issues dealing with moving the Police Department back into the building. One dealt with floor tile.

“You (City Council) asked us to get other estimates,” Malone said. “We did get a couple of other estimates. Crabtree’s Carpet Outlet was the lowest estimate, so we are presenting this letter to Council to approve it.”

Malone said Tuesday morning the floor tile bid was for $5,549. It will be brought before Council at the next meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, Portsmouth Police Department Captain Robert Ware addressed the need for Council to repair the heating and air conditioning system in that department’s Investigative Unit, a request that had been submitted as an emergency measure to Council of Sept. 26 of this year.

“I understand that the Council elected to take no action on that Council letter,” Ware said. “The Capital Improvements budget was obviously passed earlier in the year. We weren’t anticipating having repairs done to the heating and air unit, so obviously we didn’t have a budget for that. Therefore, we don’t have money in our Capital Improvements budget for that particular repair. So I’m asking Council to reconsider that Council letter.”

The cost for the repair is $2,925, and Council chose to bring it forward for consideration at the next legislative session.

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.