Norwich - The City Council accepted a recommendation Monday that the city reject all three developer proposals to build a new police station leased to the city, saying all three were too expensive and city officials should start over using the conventional method of finding a site and funding it through bonding.

While the issue was not on Monday's City Council agenda, the council suspended its rules to add acceptance of the three-page report by a committee of city officials that reviewed the three proposals.

According to the report, a plan to build a police station at the former William A. Buckingham School property on Cedar and Washington streets would have cost $2.1 million in lease payments per year and the city would own the building at the end of the 30-year period.

A proposal to build a police station at the former YMCA property on Main Street would have called for lease payments of $2.4 million for 25 years with extensions and an option for the city to purchase the building at the end.

The third proposal would have cost $2.7 million per year to lease a new police station at the current New London County Mutual Insurance building on High Street, and the city would not own the building at the end of the 40-year lease term.

"All three are very, very interesting," said Acting City Manager John Bilda, who was on the review committee. "We have to make sure they work for the long term. From a financial standpoint, none of them made sense."

The city sought private development proposals last year for a new police station after voters soundly rejected a plan to build a $33 million new police station downtown.

The review committee recommended the council start over and select a preferred site for a police station - the former Buckingham school grounds had been the city's preferred site - acquire the site if it's not already owned by the city and adopt a bond ordinance aimed at sending the project to referendum on the November 2016 election ballot.

Police Chief Louis Fusaro, who was a member of the review committee, said he agreed with the group's recommendation, although he is concerned about the time delay. Fusaro and Bilda both said the project was so critical to the city that the project had to be done appropriately.

Bilda said the proper tool for funding a major city expense is general obligation bonds approved by the voters. Fusaro said, however, that current state law limits the term of the bond to 20 years. The report recommends the city seek approval from the state General Assembly to extend bond terms to up to 40 years.

Along with Bilda and Fusaro, the review committee included Comptroller Josh Pothier, Public Works Director Barry Ellison, city Purchasing Agent William Hathaway, police Captain Patrick Daley and Officer Josip Peperni.

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