The seven-year quest to place the Rockdale Police Department in a brand new building ended last Wednesday (April 17) with the first day in its new building, corner of East Cameron (US 79) and Green.
That was the day everything became operational and the first test of the city’s “six-o’clock sirens” from the new PD was memorable.
Rockdale and Milam County were under a severe weather watch that day, with the possibility of storms and hail, and the memory of tornadoes the last two weekends in San Gabriel and Franklin were fresh in the minds of residents.
When sirens sounded not at 6 p.m., but around 2:45, several residents wondered if that was Rockdale’s tornado alarm and the Rockdale VFD took to social media with the welcome news “it’s just a test.”
The test, obviously, worked.
POLICY—In the wake of that a-bit-too-interesting test, City Manager Chris Whittaker outlined and clarified the city’s policy on weather warnings.
He said the city continues the daily 6 p.m. tests preparatory to using the citywide sirens in the event of a real weather emergency.
“In the event of a direct hit by a tornado, or if we are in the path of one, the siren will produce a wailing tone,” he said.
Weather information will then be distributed on the website, through social media and local media will be notified, he said.
“We will not operate the siren unless the National Weather Service, and our local spotters, determine we are in the path or immediately affected,” he said.
The new siren tone at 6 p.m. has been noticed by the public with a number of comments to police.
SAGA—The first serious discussion of obtaining a new police station came on April 9, 2012, when Police Chief Thomas Harris reported to the city council on the state of disrepair of the then 97-year-old building.
Harris said there were “inches wide” cracks in the building, water was seeping through in places and the station’s ancient cells/detention area would not meet state standards.
Council members agreed to look into the matter.
Four years later, on March 14, 2016, the council agreed t0 spend $3-million on a project to construct a new police station.
One month later, the council said it had selected a site for the new building on US 79 near the intermediate school.
BEGINNING—But that turned out to be the beginning of the site selection adventure, not the end.
Within a month substantial opposition developed to both the site location and its proposed cost.
By next month a well-attended, sometimes raucous town hall meeting had been staged and opponents packed the chambers at the next city council meeting.
The council agreed to revisit its choice and called on the public to suggest alternative sites.
CHOICE—Six sites were proposed. The council contacted a local realtor to study the sites and obtain possible purchase estimates.
In August, 2016, local businessman Lin Perry presented a 20-page detailed proposal to the city council.
Perry said lots which wrapped around a car wash at the San Gabriel-Ackerman intersection, including a former used car lot and sites of two residential fires, were available, met all the qualifications for which the city, and citizens, had been searching.
The council agreed, and later selected that site and the location. That led to purchase agreements, a contractor was hired and the new PD was built.
The council did purchase the site on west US 79 but has not used it and that site remains for sale by the city.
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