With a surplus of $529,665, Sterling’s 2026-27 general fund budget is in the black.

What to do with that surplus was a topic of discussion during Monday’s Sterling City Council meeting, when aldermen mulled the possible purchase of a $600,000 facility on the west end of town to use as a Sterling Police Department evidence garage.

“We are in our third different spot since 2017, and none of them have really met the needs we have,” Sterling Police Chief Pat Bartel told the council.

Bartel told the council that in some circumstances, such as a murder case, police are required to hold on to vehicles for years. Currently, the police department has six such cars in its evidence facility, Bartel said.

The facility in the west end is for sale for $600,000. The facility is fully fenced in and has a 10,000-square-foot building, of which 7,500 square feet could be used for evidence storage. The building is heated and has running water.

“It’s a huge building, has a lot of multiuses and there’s room for our old records, as well,” Bartel said. “There are uses for other city departments, as well. It just makes a lot of sense, and it’s a one-time purchase.”

The evidence garage was just one item on a wishlist that Sterling City Manager Scott Shumard presented to the council. He said $100,000 of the surplus funds will be put into the fund reserve, leaving $429,665.

Other items on the list that could be considered include hiring two additional firefighters at $274,840 or an additional deputy chief at $212,120; adding employees for park maintenance, and especially at the riverfront in the summertime, to tend to garbage; and additional road reconstruction.

“The fire request is ongoing. This [the police building] is a one-time thing and then, perhaps, in the next year, we could look at the fire request, depending on how the budget works out,” Shumard said. “This might be an opportunity to strike while the iron’s hot because the building is there and the money is there, for now. It seems like the prudent thing. I didn’t necessarily want to guide you directly into it, maybe nudge you gently.”

“The multiuse thing is – if it covers the city, then by all means, I think it’s a good idea," Ward 3 Alderman Josh Johnson said. “It solves the problem you’re having with your evidence, and it solves storage for all the other departments in the city and it’s heated. I just don’t think there’s a downside to it. If it’s a need, go do it.”

The council did not take any action, since the building purchase would be part of the 2026-27 fiscal budget, which will be voted on later this spring.