Out with the old and in with the new was the feeling as the DeKalb City Council tried to solve the need for more space in city hall with plans for a new state-of-the-art police station.

The city council has yet to decide whether to approve debt restructuring for 2011 to build a new state of the art police station or to remodel the current city hall to need for more space.

Monday night the argument for a new station was strong, voiced by 6th Ward Alderman David Baker, while City Manager Mark Biernacki explained the implications of each decision on taxpayers and the city’s debt.

DeKalb’s general fund debt can be restructured to create $7 to $8 million which would be used to remodel city hall and improve police equipment. This option would have no impact on taxpayers and would result in little long term debt.

Biernacki said land has already been purchased for a new station, interest rates are lower than they have been in a long time and the city of DeKalb has low debt compared to other cities of comparable size.

A new facility would be built on the land purchased by the city on West Lincoln Highway, and the proposed station would cost between $15 and $20 million, significantly more than the $7 or $8 million that can be produced by the debt restructuring.

This option would be possible if the debt were extended long term, although Baker suggested placing an affordable limit of around $10 million on the construction of a new city hall to prevent significant long term debt.

The council decided to bring ideas about working on the land to the next meeting, Sept 27, and to refresh the capital money needs for the following meeting. A decision must be made before December 1, the deadline for a $3 million bond used to purchase the land.

In other news, a resolution was passed unanimously by the council allowing the mayor of DeKalb to sign an agreement with Wendler Engineering Services Inc., 421 Grove St., using $47,197.50 in motor fuel tax funds for a bike path off Fairview Dr.

Another resolution was passed authorizing a permit to Bodylock Inc. to hold a mixed martial arts event at South Pointe Center on Saturday, September 25.