Perryville Officials Explain Separation Between Police Department, Town Hall

Commissioner Raymond Ryan gave his take on why the plans to revamp Perryville's town government campus should include separating the police station from Town Hall.

He was responding to a question from planning commission members Pete Reich and Erik Donald regarding the seeming financial sense in only developing one piece of property.

"I like the separation," Ryan said at the group's July 15 meeting, citing safety as a concern.

Donald, who said he works in construction, countered that it would have to be cheaper to break ground on one project rather than two.

Town Planner Mary Ann Skilling said that working in phases allowed Perryville to expedite the new police department's creation.

"There are a lot more programs for small towns [regarding] safety," Skiller said, mentioning homeland security as one potential source of funding. The implication was that for the town hall project, funding may not be as readily available. With developing the police station separately, Skiller said: "We have more potential."