The Milledgeville Police Department, directly across from the city/county parking deck, could become the site of a new, much larger parking deck in the near future once city officials decide exactly what direction they plan to take.

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A new public safety building for police officers and firefighters in Milledgeville, as well as a new parking deck in downtown were among the many topics discussed at a recent Milledgeville City Council government retreat.

Both of the projects would need funding from the proposed 2017 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Voters are expected to vote on the continuation of the special 1-cent sales tax in a referendum tentatively set for Tuesday, March 21.

The retreat was held on Saturday, Jan. 14 at The Lodge in neighboring Putnam County near Lake Oconee. It marked the second straight year that city elected officials and others affiliated with city government have met there to talk about the future of the city.

Mayor Gary L. Thrower made several opening comments, including telling how much he appreciated fellow city officials taking their Saturday to talk about matters related to the city and its future.

“I think it’s important from time to time for us to get together in a little more informal setting and be able to kick around some ideas, and just kinda get some things off your chest or whatever,” Thrower said. “I understand that everything we do is going to be with an idea that it will make Milledgeville a better place. Everything that’s discussed might not be exactly the way you want it discussed.”

He said he hoped it would show everyone that city officials are working together and trying to do what’s right.

“As long as we do what we think is right for the people, I don’t think anybody can criticize us,” Thrower said.

One of the first major topics discussed by city officials was a new public safety building that would have police officers and firefighters working out of the same building.

It’s not a new subject. City officials also talked about it during last year’s government retreat.

City Manager Barry Jarrett said such a building would combine both public safety departments.

“They would be on the same property,” Jarrett told city council members, the mayor and others who attended last month’s retreat.

City Alderman Richard Mullins said the idea makes sense a lot of fire departments and EMS run together, “because it’s the nature of the business. And police are separate.”

Jarrett explained that the idea is to have them in the same facility.

“We’ve looked at some tracts of land that we feel is pretty well central to the city of Milledgeville,” Jarrett said.

City Alderwoman Denese Shinholster asked whether the sites were all north of the river.

And the city manager, replied that they were.

Shinholster, who recently was elected mayor pro-tem for another year by fellow city council members, expressed some concern over everything being north of the river.

“I just don’t know about putting everything on that side of town; and placing the fire department on the north side of town,” Shinholster said. “I just have a problem with that.”

City Alderwoman Dr. Collinda Lee asked about other potential sites to consider.

“One of them was across from Northside Church,” City Alderwoman Jeanette Walden said. “And we’re looking at the Shaw Building, supposedly.”

Mullins asked whether the Baugh Building, the current site of the Milledgeville Police Department, would last another 15 or 20 years.

“No,” replied Police Chief Dray Swicord. “That building was built in 1985.”

Swicord said the building is maxed out from an electrical standpoint.

Walden mentioned that the fire departments were older than the police department.

“The public safety building was built after both of them,” Walden said.

Mullins said there are advantages to having the police department downtown.

“That’s where you have all of your traffic, and you can pay your tickets and fines down there,” Mullins said. “That’s the only thing about the location being downtown. It’s centrally located.”

City Alderman Walter Reynolds Jr. weighed in on the discussion, saying the city might think about the possibility of building a police substation.

“I know in downtown Savannah some of the public parking decks have police substations built into them,” Reynolds said. “I certainly understand y’all’s concern about having everything on one side or the other of the tracks, but that’s where you build maybe a substation.”

Jarrett said when thinking about the fire department that first, you are looking at location, and you are looking at the area that it’s going to serve.

“So you want to put it an area that you can serve certain locations,” Jarrett said. “And so we’re looking for areas like that.”

The city manager said nothing has yet been decided at this point.

“We’re also looking at the land that the city owns,” Jarrett said. “The city owns a valuable piece of land on Thomas Street where the fire department is located.”

Jarrett said that property could be sold very easily.

“It’s in a desirable location for certain people, especially for somebody like Georgia College,” Jarrett said.

The city’s public safety building, where the police department currently is located, is also located in a desirable location and should bring a good price and sell right away.

“It’s also a good location if the city wanted to put a parking deck,” Jarrett said. “You could put a tremendous parking deck there.”

A parking deck isn’t a new subject of discussion among city officials. A year ago, they talked about the need for a parking deck downtown so it would alleviate some of the downtown parking problems experienced on almost a daily basis.

Walden pointed out that the city already owns the land where the Shaw building is located.

“That’s another possible location,” Jarrett said, noting that he had previously had that building evaluated by an engineer.

Mayor Thrower said he certainly thought the Shaw building would be another great option.

“But I think some other options need to be in place where the first responders have easy access out of the place where they are located so they get out as quickly as possible,” Thrower said.

The mayor said if the fire department was located in the Shaw building and something were to happen in the north end of the city, it might take firefighters a while to get there.

“I don’t think we’re going to do anything that’s going to neglect public safety,” Thrower said. “But at the same point in time, it’s got to be a good business decision.”