DECATUR - Plans for building a bigger, better Decatur Police Department headquarters took a step forward Monday after more than five years of deliberation.

City staff will work with an architectural firm to draft schematics for about a 60,000-square-foot building.

Police Chief James A. Anderson told the council the plan is the minimum he would recommend for the department and is not wasting any space.

"This is not extravagant by any means," Anderson said.

City Councilman Larry Foster declared his support for a one-building plan despite feeling cautious about any large expenditures.

"I support providing our police department the increased space needs that have been documented during these many years of study," Foster said. "I believe we should go with one building and not do a piecemeal thing."

A majority of council members agreed informally to award the task of drafting the schematics to local firm BLDD Architects Inc. According to a city news release, because these actions were taken during a study session, no vote was necessary to provide staff direction.

Representatives of the company said putting together the schematics would cost the city close to $1 million.

City Councilman Pat Laegeler expressed some concern at awarding the job to a firm without first putting it up for bid, particularly due to its cost.

The city is not obligated by law to put the job up for bid.

City Manager Ryan McCrady said staff will be exploring options for funding the construction, which will be presented to the council for deliberation.

In other business, the city finalized a round of cuts to allow it to continue to fund police, firefighter, and city employee pensions above the minimum amount, despite a recent, state-mandated increase in the payments.

The council laid the groundwork for the plan last week at a special meeting and put through the last ordinance on it Monday night. City staff had suggested putting forth an increase in the city's property tax, but council members opted instead to reduce funding for the public library and municipal band and forgo building a training tower for the fire department.

Another part of the plan, put forth by city Councilman Shad Edwards, lays out a more modest monument to Abraham Lincoln than an originally planned replica of his log cabin home along the Sangamon River.

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