Friday’s planned unveiling of Starkville Police Department’s newly renovated headquarters was postponed Wednesday after issues of flooding in the building’s basement came to light this week.
The city cited unforeseen circumstances in a press release and has not yet scheduled a new date for the event.
“The opening of a new landmark public facility should provide an opportunity to celebrate unity and civic pride,” said Mayor Parker Wiseman. “It is now appropriate to wait for a moment when everyone can properly celebrate the gravity of the occasion that the opening of our new police headquarters represents.”
Friday’s dedication ceremony was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with SPD staff members and the building’s furnishings to be moved in throughout July.
The Dispatch first reported the issue with flooding in a basement crawlspace Tuesday after a project contractor approached Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins with the concerns last week.
Perkins called for the grand opening ceremony to be delayed until the standing water and any other lingering issues are addressed and mitigated.
Once contacted about the issue Tuesday, Mayor Parker Wiseman inspected the problem and confirmed standing water was present in an area toward the back of the building.
The project’s contractor, Weathers Construction, believes ground water is penetrating the basement through a crack in its floor, he said, and will continue to assess the area. Additionally, Starkville Utilities will soon inspect a drain in the building with a camera to determine if any water flow issues are present.
The crawlspace area, he said, will house any city staff members, and the city could install a sub pump to mitigate water buildup if contractors cannot fully stop seepage.
“The project’s civil engineer should fully evaluate the situation once that analysis is complete, and that should provide us with a clear path forward,” Wiseman said.
A timeline for solving the issue was not clear Wednesday.
Perkins: Project extends beyond current administration
Issues with standing water related to ground seepage and heavy rains have plagued the building for years, project architect Gary Shafer said in a Tuesday email. Since renovation plans do not consider the flooded portion of the basement as occupied space, “no programed functions were designed” for it “and the resolution of the water problems could be considered after further investigation by the civil engineer.”
Perkins celebrated the news of the postponement Wednesday, saying the act “clearly indicates and signifies that the best interests of the city of Starkville control and govern” and that the flooding issue must be completely resolved before the city accepts the building.
He also said he would have requested a special-called meeting either Wednesday or today to personally attempt a postponement had Wiseman not acted in a timely fashion.
“Having a dedication service with a flood issue in a $5.4 million facility is totally unacceptable, and I was not going to stand for it or sit quietly on my watch,” Perkins said. “The contractor has to get it done. City staff members need to get out of their way, let them get their work done, let them breathe and don’t tell them that they need this building by a certain date.”
A dedication ceremony before July 1 would have allowed the current mayor and board to dedicate the project they approved while they were still in office. However, Wiseman, Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn and Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard will no longer be in office next month.
“This project extends beyond the boundaries of this current administration. If it takes until next July to get this building right, we’re going to get it right,” he added. “(The current administration is) welcome to come back and get a VIP seat, make their comments and have their say (once the project is formally dedicated).”
Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver, Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker and Maynard agreed with the decision to postpone Friday’s ceremony and said SPD should be free from issues before its publicly dedicated.
“I know Friday was only supposed to be ceremonial, but I want us to make sure that the building is right and ready,” Walker said.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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