BY GRANT CRAWFORD, ANNA MANESS & GRACIE WARHURST
Hutto weighs new $150M police center amid fast growth
City of Pflugerville begins FY 2025-26 budget work Pflugerville City Council began hosting workshops for the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget in June. Overview Pflugerville officials, who have until mid-September to pass a budget, began meeting in June to shape spending plans. Dates for council to discuss the budget include: • Aug. 12 : Proposed budget presentation to City Council • Aug. 26: City Council work session for budget ques- tions; public hearing on budget at regular meeting • Sept. 9: Public hearing on tax rate and planning fees; adoption of budget and tax rate More info about budget updates can be found at www. pflugervilletx.gov. With a current police department facility of just under 10,000 square feet, and as one of the 15 fastest growing cities in the state, the city of Hutto identified the need for a new public safety facility. City Council considered a preliminary presentation for size and cost options from architect firm Brinkley Sargent Wiginton at its June 5 meeting. The details Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects worked on design and cost projections as a consultant with the city of Hutto. Although the consultant team and city staff have not identified a site for a new Hutto public safety facility, the firm recommended at least 37 acres to house: the main police facility, police asset support areas, dispatch, Office of Emergency Management and Emer- gency Operations Center, municipal courts, training center, gun range and exterior training structure. “This is purely concept. This will change,” said Denny Boles, president and CEO of Brinkley Sargent
“Hutto’s growing like a new family, and my personal opinion is [that] we can’t a ord $60 million on a public safety building." MIKE SNYDER, MAYOR OF HUTTO
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Pflugerville police chief resigns, interim in place Police Chief Jason O’Malley retired from the Pflugerville Police Department May 29, ending a five-year stint as chief with the city. Overview O’Malley, who previously served as a com- mander for the department, was named in an active administrative investigation, according to a news release from the city of Pflugerville. The city stated it does not comment on active investigations. O’Malley was appointed to serve as police chief in September 2021. Stephen Griffith was named the interim police chief. Griffith has over 33 years of law enforcement experience and over 10 years of experience in city management. He was the first director of the Advanced Law Enforce- ment Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University. The city also stated it will “begin the selection process which will bring the next police chief into this growing, vibrant and diverse community.” Wiginton Architects. “This is just a starting point for conversation.” What else? Preliminary proposals include two facilities at about 53,000 square feet and two larger facilities at 82,000 and 136,000 square feet. For the two smaller facilities, the cost ranges from $56 million to $57 million based on a limited scope with less features. The two larger concepts account for the “20-year outlook” and would cost $88 million and $150 million, respectively.
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Pflugerville City Council
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PFLUGERVILLE - HUTTO EDITION
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