By CHRIS COLLINS

Baker City Herald

Just as he’d hoped, Police Chief Wyn Lohner’s officers have moved in to the city’s new police station just in time to respond to calls from the new location during the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally.

andquot;We’ve moved in,andquot; Lohner said Thursday morning while continuing the moving process at 1768 Auburn Ave., a former state office building that has stood vacant for the past two years. andquot;We’re not unpacked, but we are open for business.andquot;

The new police department is about 900 feet east of the Public Safety Building, which for the past four years has housed the police and fire departments. The building, originally constructed as a fire station, will once again return to that exclusive use when police have completely moved out.

Police lockers that crowded the fire department hallways have been moved to the new building along with other equipment that left firefighters hankering for the extra space they were used to before the police department joined them at 1616 Second St. in 2004.

andquot;We brought everything we could with us,andquot; Lohner said. andquot;We had a tight budget and we did stay within it. We’re good at recycling.andquot;

Lohner said the move should be completed by the weekend, with the exception of the property room, which is expected to take about another month to transfer from the basement of City Hall to the new site.

Fire Chief Jim Price said his staff is eager for the move to be completed.

andquot;We’re excited,andquot; he said. andquot;My guys are pretty happy. It was pretty cramped in here.

andquot;And we’re happy for the police that they’ve got a building that meets their needs better,andquot; Price added.

Returning the Second Street building to the fire department will provide a separate training office in which files can be properly secured, Price said. In the police department’s absence, the career staff and volunteers also will have adequate training space.

And the security that was necessary while police shared the quarters will be eliminated. Price said the fire station’s historic open-door policy to the community should be restored by July 1.

By then entry to the back rooms of the fire station will be left open except when all staff is called out on a fire or medical emergency, Price said. And though there will be no receptionist to greet visitors when the station is empty, the phone just inside the front door will continue to connect community residents to the 911 dispatch center.

The Fire Department non-emergency phone number will remain unchanged: 523-3711.

The City Council approved the purchase of the building in March. City Manager Steve Brocato negotiated with Lava Rock Properties LLC of Klamath Falls to buy the property for $615,000. Remodeling, which Lohner had estimated would cost $50,822.45, so far has totaled about $48,800.

Lohner said the building was basically andquot;ready to wearandquot; and only slight changes were needed to prepare it for use as a police station.

A wall was added, a door was moved and evidence lockers were installed.

andquot;That’s the beauty of this building,andquot; he said. andquot;It really took very, very little modification.andquot;

Rod Wickam Construction did the major remodeling; Alpine Alarm installed the phones and provided security alterations; and Davis Computers installed the necessary computer and Internet service.

Maintenance agreements are still pending, Lohner said.

Construction of shower rooms has been delayed in favor of a fresh coat of exterior paint. The new beige color is accented by a deep-blue trim as recommended by the city planning and community development departments. Weeds that had encroached on the landscaping during the building’s two-year vacancy were removed by Juvenile Department community service workers, Lohner said.

A sign identifying the building as the new police station will be erected soon.

A grand opening welcoming the community will be scheduled within the next couple of weeks, he said.

During the transition, phone messages are being checked regularly at the numbers that ring in at the Public Safety Building. The temporary number at the new site is 523-8514. Once the move is completed, all calls will be routed through receptionist Tyra Ruberti at 524-2014 or to an automated attendant, Lohner said.