1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Tuesday, March 1, 2016
CONTACTS: Allen Dannen, PE, Assistant City Engineer
City of Salem Public Works Department
503-588-6211, adannen@cityofsalem.net
Maureen A. Kenney, Public Relations Manager
City of Salem, City Manager's Office
503-588-6363, mkenney@cityofsalem.net
Public Hearing Brings Support for Modern Police Facility for Salem, OR
Salem Community Decisively Hones in on O’Brien as Top Prospective Site
Last night, City Council heard extensive public testimony regarding a proposed police
facility for Salem, OR. Nearly 40 community members provided feedback via e-mail and mail
leading up to last night’s hearing. More than 100 people filled Council chambers last night and 37
people provided public testimony and expressed support of a new police facility. Some people
shared concern about seismic safety at Civic Center and suggested potential upgrades could be
wrapped into a bond measure. Based on the vast majority of public input, City Council voted 7-0,
with one abstention, to pursue the O'Brien site as the top location for Salem’s proposed police
facility.
Top Prospective Site for Proposed Police Facility: O’Brien
The O’Brien site surfaced to the top following a study of 30 prospective sites during which each site
was evaluated for location, cost and other suitability factors deemed to be most critical by the
International Association of Chiefs of Police. The O’Brien site, former home of the O'Brien Auto
Group, is located at the northeast of the intersection of Division and Commercial St. NE.
Cost Projection
At an earlier Council Work Session, DLR Group, an architectural firm with experience designing
more than 50 public safety facilities, provided estimates regarding the cost to build a seismically
stable new police facility that allows for the consolidated and efficient delivery of police and 9-1-1
services. The comprehensive cost estimates include building construction, site work, professional
design fees, property acquisition, furnishing and equipping the new building, as well as allowances
for cost inflation.

2. The total development cost at the O'Brien site is estimated at $81.4 million, with a property tax
impact of $9.08 per month for the same valued home. Leveraging urban renewal resources for
required traffic circulation improvements in the area could reduce the cost by over a million dollars,
resulting in a savings of about 12 cents per month to an average home owner.
Alternatives were also presented in response to questions asked by Council at a January 21, 2016
work session. The alternatives, which may remove the 9-1-1 call center from the building and
reducing space allocated for future growth, are estimated to reduce the overall cost between 55
cents and $1.20 per month. A full list of the alternatives and cost impacts are available, along with
related materials from the previous public meetings, on the City's website:
http://www.cityofsalem.net/PublicSafetyFacility.
What’s Next
Poll
Over the next couple of days, City of Salem staff will review a draft poll being developed and
administered through DHM Research under the direction of John Horvick, Vice President and
Political Director. The poll is scheduled to run from March 10 through March 13. Final analysis of
the poll should be available for City Council the March 28, 2016 Council meeting.
Community Survey
Staff will also develop and issue an online community survey designed to mirror the poll, which
will be available between March 14 and March 28. The Community Survey results will be
summarized and available for Council by early April.
About DHM Research
For over three decades DHM Research™ (Davis, Hibbitts, & Midghall, Inc.) has provided Pacific
Northwest and national clients assistance with communications, marketing, planning, and policy-
making through focus groups, panels and surveys. DHM Research is a certified, woman-owned,
minority business with offices in Portland, Seattle, and Washington D.C. For more information,
please visit: http://dhmresearch.com/#sthash.YqWlAl5a.dpuf.
John Horvick, Vice President and Political Director for DHM Research, has 15 years of opinion
research experience.. For more information, please visit: http://dhmresearch.com/staff/john-
horvick/#sthash.ePvAhN0t.dpuf.
City Council Deliberations
Final City Council decisions regarding cost, design and size of a proposed future police facility and
pursuit of a voter-approved, general obligation bond in November 2016 to fund its construction are
likely to be made some time in April, 2016.

3. Background: Appropriate Size for a Modern Police Facility for Salem, Oregon
DLR Group has recommended 148,000 square feet of space for an appropriately-sized, seismically
stable and modern police facility to serve the City of Salem, Oregon for decades to come.
Usable Space
The total recommended square footage includes about 115,000 square feet of what would be
considered usable space.
Building Gross
The remaining square footage would be allocated for circulation and what architects refer to as
building gross, or the space required to house items such as corridors, electrical and heating
systems, stairwells and elevators.
Salem's Current Police Operations and Need
Currently, Salem's Police Department occupies 28,000 square feet on the first floor of the Civic
Center, which was built in 1972 when Salem's population was half of what it is today. The space
houses 187 sworn officers. In comparison, neighboring Keizer serves 37,064 residents, has 38
sworn officers and occupies 28,800 square feet. Some critical operations, such as the crime lab and
9-1-1 dispatch center, are located off-site in 20,000 square feet of leased space.
Public Information
Capital Community Television (CCTV) plans to playback the session on Friday at 9:00 a.m. and
Sunday at 7 p.m. on Channel 21. Footage of the public hearing can be viewed any time on CCTV at
http://www.cctvsalem.org/. Click on the menu on the upper right, click on streaming and then click
on City of Salem.
All public testimony that was submitted in writing can be viewed online at:
http://www.cityofsalem.net/CouncilMeetingAgenda/default.aspx
Select "Other" in the "Documents" directory on the right side of the screen.
The City of Salem has a captured a series of Frequently Asked Questions at:
http://bit.ly/PoliceFacilityConceptFAQs.
For more background and all public information related to this topic, visit:
http://www.cityofsalem.net/PublicSafetyFacility.
Project Information
For more information about this project, please contact: Allen J. Dannen, PE, Assistant City
Engineer, City of Salem, 503-588-6211 or via e-mail at adannen@cityofsalem.net.
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