WHEELING — City officials will host a town hall forum later this month to discuss the public safety building levy voters will decide in the Nov. 6 general election.

The event is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29, at West Virginia Northern Community College, 1704 Market St.

Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger and Fire Chief Larry Helms each will give a presentation and answer questions from city residents. The forum is open to the public, and no reservations are required.

The $22 million levy is asking for $20 million for construction of the public safety building, as well as an additional $1 million for renovations to the city’s five remaining fire stations and another $500,000 for a fire truck for the Warwood station. The city has said it used a figure of $500,000 for costs associated with the bonds it will issue, but officials have also said they don’t expect the final costs to be that much.

The Wheeling Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 12 in Wheeling both have endorsed the levy, as has the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce.

If approved, the current police headquarters within the City-County Building, the fire department headquarters near Centre Market and Fire Station 2 at 801 Main St. in North Wheeling would be combined in a new public safety building to be constructed on Market Street across from Market Plaza.

The proposed public safety building would consist of three floors and 56,725 feet. The fire department would be allocated 24,510 square feet; and the police department, 18,770 square feet. The remaining 13,445 square feet would be shared space.

Receiving upgrades would be the city’s other fire stations in South Wheeling, Warwood, Elm Grove, Woodsdale and on Wheeling Island.

It is estimated the levy would cost the average Wheeling homeowner about $105 a year.

Helms said voters who have any questions about the levy should attend the town hall. He said he and Schwertfeger will do their best to help voters understand why the levy is needed.

Open houses have been happening at the fire stations and the police department this month to give the public a first-hand opportunity to tour facilities and see what is needed.

So far, people have said they were surprised at the condition and space challenges the police and fire departments experience.

“They are telling me they didn’t understand what we are faced with, and the upgrades needed to the stations,” he said. “They didn’t realize the magnitude.”

Additional open houses at fire stations are planned for 5 p.m. on the following days at the these locations — Wednesday, at Station 11/Elm Grove; Oct. 23 at Station 4/South Wheeling; Oct. 24 at Station 5/Wheeling Island; and Oct. 30 at headquarters in Center Wheeling.

Tours of the police department headquarters at the City-County Building, meanwhile, also are taking place. Those are set for 7 p.m. today and for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 25.

The Wheeling fire and police departments have the right to cancel or limit the number of participants if unforeseen circumstances arrive.