Will Council/County Board Chambers Ever Get Fixed Up?

There has been money in the budget for it . . . So what’s the deal? Since this is one of the recommendations about how to make the Development Process better, I thought people might be interested.

From the CCOC meeting.

Mark Clear explains he asked for this to be on the agenda. He says he wanted to hear the update on the once and future remodeling that has been around since 2001 and the hopes for 2011.

Travis Miren from the County Board explains that in 2007 there was a user group, the Common Council representative was from the Municipal Court and maybe from engineering. The results of that committee culminated in getting an architect, there were a a couple options to make dais handicap accessible and the report recommended other improvements. The total cost of the improvements was about $483K. The county had already put $160K in their budget to replace the windows at the back of the room to improve efficiency. So they thought a good number was $400K, they both put $200K in both budgets in 2009, but the county put a capital freeze on projects. If they want to move forward, the next step on county side is to seek an appeal.

Shiva Bidar-Sielaff asks who would do that.

Miren says he would draft it and present it.

Clear says any county tax payer would have standing to do it.

Clear clarified if it was carried forward in the budget?

Miren says it was carried forward and would be carried forward in to 2011 but its still frozen until Personnel and Finance lifts the freeze or they appeal it.

Bidar-Sielaff asks if budget time is the time to address this problem?

Miren says that the money was put in the budget in 2009 and carried forward since then, and if they want to move on that, they could appeal the freeze on this individual project.

Clear asks what else included beyond windows and accessible dais?

Miren says HVAC will cost $120K, and other was improvements to sound system and putting video display near the audience areas so they have a clear view in front of room.

Lisa Veldran, council staff says there was seating as well.

Miren agrees.

Marsha Rummel asks about the sound system.

Miren says that will cost $80K and that is in there.

That was the end of the discussion. I wasn’t clear what the conclusion was.

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