By Glenn Rolfe

GEORGETOWN — To keep pace with its neighbors, town leaders are proposing a new police department and public works facility.

And they are seeking residents’ support to do so.

On Monday, the mayor and Town Council voted 5-0 to go forward with the plans, setting Aug. 26 for a public hearing regarding the issuance of up to $18 million in general obligation bonds, pending approval through a referendum.

The hearing will begin at 6 p.m. at Town Hall on The Circle.

Mayor Bill West said it will be an opportunity to show the community and property owners “what we want to do and how we want to do it.”

“We want retention. We want to keep the officers we have got. We’re not going to keep them when we’ve got them in a place that is rundown,” he said, adding that new police facilities in other municipalities have bolstered their departments.

“Millsboro is having success. Milford is having success. So, it’s time we step up to the plate.”

Georgetown’s chief, Ralph “Rusty” Holm, agreed.

“The current police department is inadequate in space, security and amenities to accommodate the size of the police department,” he said. “Additionally, the current configuration is old, outdated and beyond modification to the existing structure. Simple requirements of sight-and-sound separation between male, female and juvenile detainees demand alternatives that are less than optimal.”

Similarly, the Public Works Department on Adams Street has limitations, the mayor said.

“If we order a tractor-trailer-load of supplies, we have to block the street off and unload out in the street because they can’t get down the alley to Public Works. It’s a nightmare,” he noted.

For its part, the police hub has some history. The current building, on North Race Street, opened as a button factory around 1955, and officers set up operations there Aug. 29, 1992, Chief Holm said.

“The building’s internal configuration has been changed and modified multiple times over the years in attempts to better utilize the space,” he continued. “Our police station is what represents our agency to the public, potential applicants and our employees. If your building is old and outdated, the perception is, so are the services.

“Will the applicants drawn to an old, outdated facility represent the type of officers we want at our agency? The same can be said of the current employees who work in the building. Why stay at an agency with a building that is old, decaying and outdated, when there are agencies with new facilities, with new technology, better security and equipment to support health and wellness?”

Town solicitor Stephanie Ballard reiterated that any borrowing by the town could not occur until after an approved referendum.

“We’re asking to borrow up to $18 million. (But) I think we’re going to come in way short of that,” Mayor West said.

Potential locations for the sites have not been identified. If town officials decide to move forward following the public hearing, a referendum date will be set.