The public safety center is being funded by Proposition O — a half-cent sales tax, which was passed by voter in 2004 to upgrade city offices like the city’s animal shelter and fire stations.
"The measure needed a two-third vote to pass and it received about a 68 percent yes vote," Palm said.
Since April 2005, the city has been collected sales tax dollars for the public safety center.
Design and architectural work, which was done by KMA Architecture & Engineering, in collaboration with McClaren, Wilson & Lawrie, Inc., began in September 2007 and took about a year to complete. The environmental impact report was finalized in late 2008.
Construction started on June 23 and is expected to take 24 months to complete, with police and fire crew set to move in by September 2011.