VILLAGE OF LAKE HALLIE Wis. (WEAU) -- The referendum on the construction of a new public safety building is on the ballot for this year's election. It failed in 2007, and in 2012 the Village of Lake Hallie is trying to get citizens approval to get the new facilities for the police and fire department.

The building the department uses today has many issues, including leaking ceiling, mold and holes in the walls. The repair costs are 700,000 dollars, and that will not solve the problem of no proper facilities for many of employees.

"We have about 5 women assigned to the station; we have no facilities for them. We've outgrown it. The building was built to last 15 years, and we about 2.5 times beyond its life expectancy,” says the Fire and Safety Inspector John Andersen.

The new building is planned to be built right across the street from the current station… costing little more than 4 and a half million dollars; If all of it is built at once.
The other option is a two phase project worth a bit less than two and a half million each time. All the money would come out of tax payer wallets.

"There is gotta be other means of building this building,” says Lake Hallie resident of 19 years Brenda Fenner.

Lake Hallie's officials applied for multiple grants, but have been denied on many occasions because of the high per-family income here in town.

"The median income at the Lake Hallie is 64,000 dollars per household, getting grants on that high income is very difficult,” says Andersen.
"I am definitely going to vote no, but if push came to shove... I would vote for phases, but definitely not the whole thing at once,” says Fenner.

If the referendum passes, the next step would be determined by the village board. If it doesn't pass, the village will be looking into finding the repair money, or holding the taxpayers responsible, If something happens to the equipment or the people working at the current public safety building.

The options for the new Public Safety Building as they appear on the ballot are:
a. Do nothing option
b. Build phase 1 only- coast $2.4 million
c. Build the entire building- coast 4.6 million