SLPD was utilizing approximately 7000 square feet of office/training/and exercise room space for the Training and Recruiting Division at the Fluor Daniel Complex. This space was also utilized for our firearms instructor, mental health unit, and civilian background investigators. Total personnel assigned is 9. SLPD main building could not support these programs with the current square footage and SLPD had to go off campus to meet the needs. SLPD was not expecting to lose the lease of the Fluor Daniel complex, and as such had to scramble to develop a plan to accommodate the training and recruiting division. The most important aspect of this division is the constant training that goes on with the over 240 departmental personnel. Until we can acquire additional space, the division is crammed into areas of the department which has resulted in some negative impact to the functionality of the work environment.
The City of Sugar Land Police Department (SLPD) has grown significantly in terms of personnel, services offered, and technological advances. This growth has led to an increased need for office space, as well as training space to accommodate the expanding workforce and new programs to the department. Police Officers, Dispatchers, and civilian personnel have tripled since the opening the SLPD building in the early 1990’s. It has been over twenty years since any space was added for the SLPD. A recent City-led survey indicated that SLPD is at or over capacity related to workspace.
In order to accommodate the loss of the leasing space at Fluor Daniel Complex and to account for future needs, the SLPD has opted to renovate a portion of the SLPD building second floor space and to add two modular buildings adjacent to the SLPD building parking lot. This will include renovation of about 2,000 square feet on the second floor for seven offices and a storage room. The addition of two 24-ft x 64-ft roof modular buildings will be used for classroom training and storage. SLPD staff believe this is the most cost-effective short-term solution.
The rational to renovate floor space and add modular buildings include the following:
Personnel Expansion: The SLPD has witnessed a rise in the number of officers and support staff, necessitating additional workspace to ensure a comfortable and productive working environment. The department currently has very little work from home positions, thus there are no opportunities to reassign workstations.
Specialized Units: With the establishment of specialized units like Drones, SRT, K9, Crime Analyst, Mental Health, Range Master, Emergency Management Personnel, and the upcoming additions like Drone Cockpit and a real time crime center, there is a pressing need for dedicated office spaces equipped with the necessary tools and technology.
Training and Recruiting: The Training and Recruiting Division is currently leasing space at the Fluor Daniel Complex. This lease is set to expire with no renewal on June 1, 2024, and there is a need to relocate this unit to another space. This unit consists of 9 personnel with 3 vehicles and a lot of training equipment. This unit is also assigned new recruits who are trained prior to starting the field training program. When there are many recruits, space again starts to become an issue as there could be as many as 15-20 people reporting to the training division for an extended period.
The estimated design and probable costs for the project is $1,000,000.00 which includes the following future contracts with probable costs:
- design and construction phase services ($78K)
- purchase and delivery of two modular buildings ($447K),
- renovations of the Police Department second floor office space ($250K),
- Site civil work for the modular buildings ($150K)
- Purchase of Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FFE) ($75K)
In order to fund and create the project, the Engineering, Public Works, and Police Departments recommend a budget amendment to transfer $1,000,000.00 from the FY23 Facilities general fund balance to the FY24 CIP fund to create CIP CMU2403 Police Department Building Renovations and Purchase of Modular Buildings.