City readies AMPI offices for police
Hillsboro police
will move into offices by end of January
By JENNIFER WILSON
News editor
By the end of January, the Hillsboro Police Department will leave its cozy confines on the corner of Main and Grand and move to a huge new office.
That office is located at the former Associated Milk Producers International building. And if you said that the HPD will have much more space at the AMPI — well, that would be an understatement.
When the police department's lease runs out on Jan. 30 at their current address, they'll take over about 8,000 square feet of space at their new digs.
Right now, employees of the City of Hillsboro are working hard to make sure the space is ready.
City building inspector and code enforcement officer Martin Rhodes is overseeing the process and has done much of the work himself. That works out well, considering that Rhodes worked for AMPI for two years as head of engineering and maintenance before the plant closed.
Although the city recently purchased the entire plant, including adjacent sewer and gas lines and land, the police will be making their home in the front office area.
Probably the most major task in getting the office space ready is installing a heating system, Rhodes said. When the AMPI plant was operating, the entire building was heated by steam coming from the boilers.
Now, Ron Funk of Funk's Supply has been hired to install a new gas heating system. This system will be tied into the normal city system so that it buys fuel from Atmos Energy like the rest of town.
Also, the building's sewer system needed to be added to the city's sewer lines, Rhodes said. Before, the plant had its own waste treatment system that's since been shut down.
Aside from these major tasks, the city has also had to bring the building up to code. Before the plant closed, it wasn't officially within city limits, so it didn't have to conform to city codes, Rhodes said.
That means that many doorways had to be widened and restroom stalls adapted to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Other updates include new carpet in the central room adjacent to the front entrance, new carpet in Dan Kinning's future office, and new florescent lighting, which is more energy efficient than the old fixtures. Also, new phone lines and computer network cables have been installed, Rhodes said.
Still to come are new glass doors for the entrance, new locks, and a fresh coat of paint for the walls, which have been repaired.
Rhodes says that the police officers are very excited about their new office, even volunteering to come in and help paint the walls.
