FARMINGTON – An invitation to participate in more discussions on a possible co-location of the Farmington Police Department with Franklin County offices in Fairbanks was declined by a split vote of the Board of Selectmen Tuesday.

Following a lengthy discussion between the board and members of the Police Space Needs Committee seated in the audience, a motion to decline further discussion was based on the town’s lack of funds for any future architectural studies. The board voted 3-1 with one abstention to decline the invitation.

“Do we wish to consider our facility at their site?” Town Manager Richard Davis asked the board.

The potential for sharing some sections of the building with the county sheriff’s department would require altering architect drawings done for the county, he said. Nothing was put in the budget so there’s no money for another architectural study, Davis said.

The other issue, he said, is that the board appointed a Police Space Needs Committee who has already recommended a facility be built on the town site off High Street.

After a recent committee meeting, concerns about the size of that space led the committee to ask the public for ideas on other suitable spaces for the facility. Davis has not received any other ideas from the public, he said.

Considering space at the county site makes sense, said committee member William Crandall who felt the committee moved too quickly to have an architectural study done on the High Street lot.

Spending nearly $6 million on two facilities within the same town doesn’t make sense, he added while supporting consideration of consolidation with other police departments.

Crandall was looking to keep the cost of municipal government down, a cost, he says, that has increased 50 percent over the past 10 years.

Davis noted there’s a difference between consolidation and collaboration. Franklin County has a long history of collaboration between training personnel and mutual aid.

“It doesn’t require sharing a building for true collaboration,” he said.

Selectman Nancy Porter expressed a desire to sit down and talk while Selectman Ryan Morgan felt it was a step backwards.

“It doesn’t cost anything to talk,” she said.

There have been several discussions held with the county, Davis responded.

“How much more discussion is needed?” he asked.

The only concern Davis said he has heard about building a new facility was over the timing because of the economy but it may be a better time for getting good bids and financing, he said.

Waiting another year until the economy improves is also an option, he said.

Police Chief Richard Caton suggested if the town wants to consider going with the county, it needs to be done quite quickly while there is still time to redesign a consolidated building that is functional for his department.

With no money for revamping the plan and doubting the county had any either, Chair Stephan Bunker said he was not encouraged even though he felt he initiated the invitation.