The Shreveport City Council is set to approve at its regular session tomorrow four leases for the temporary relocations of all personnel  and programs from Shreveport Police Department (SPD) headquarters at 1234 Texas Avenue.

Here are the leases and monthly rent:
a. South Pointe office building  $24,838 per month for 36 months
b. BRF office building   $20,186 per month for 36 months
c. WK North Market office building   $9,199 for 12 months
d. Caddo Parish School Board for portion of Sunset Acres Elementary School $3,000 per month for 15 months.

SPD will incur substantial costs in relocating its various departments and making necessary renovations to the leased facilities. Each lease requires the payment of utilities, maintenance and insurance expenses which may, in toto, exceed the costs currently incurred by the City of Shreveport at 1234 Texas Avenue.

These extra expenses were  certainly not anticipated by the Arceneaux administration, which is stuck with dealing with  proverbial can being kicked down the road--deterioration of the SPD HQ building. These expenses will be another strain on the city budget through the life of the leases.

SPD will also incur additional expenses when moving from these temporary locations to the new substations and SPD headquarters whenever they are finished and move-in ready. Thus, the city budgets for the next three plus years will have additional cost for the leases and relocations, both to and from the temporary locations.

Santa is known for bringing great gifts to all. But then there are those bags of coal, and the city of Shreveport can expect those for the next four years. One can thank all the prior city administrations including city councils--before Mayor Tom and the present council--for these "gifts".