The Weyauwega Common Council continues to discuss what a potential City Hall could look like.
Its most recent work session was held Thursday, Oct. 31, in the lower level meeting room of the Weyauwega Public Library.
“These are the plans that will go to the public. There will still be changes,” City Administrator Patrick Wetzel said as the council looked at the latest renderings of the proposed floor plan.
The council plans to finalize the plan this month and then set dates for public informational meetings.
Discussed was including a flyer about the proposed project with the December water bill and holding a series of informational meeting in mid December.
No dates were set.
In August, the council voted to use three lots for the project layout.
That includes the present parcel City Hall is at 109 E. Main St. and the two parcels located next to City Hall.
The council voted in June 2012 to buy the former mall building at 105 E. Main St. and also the building at 107 E. Main St.
The proposal being considered is for a two-story building on the three lots.
Cedar Corporation, of Green Bay, is working on the project with the city and presented its latest floor plans at last week’s meeting.
Project Manager Cory Scheidler told the council the latest plan includes having the community room and kitchen on the main level.
Both would be located off of the main corridor.
The first floor layout includes entrances from Main Street and the parking lot behind the building.
Under the proposal, the present City Hall building would become the police station.
The main level includes office space, a meeting room, a restroom, an interview room and rooms for evidence and weapons, with a garage at the back.
In the basement, the plan calls for a locker room, laundry room, police records archive, storage and mechanical.
Police Chief Jerry Poltrock said it would be nice to also have a shower for decontamination, and Scheidler said there is space off the garage for adding a shower.
The building next door would include a central lobby and corridor with restrooms, an elevator and two staircases.
Both the police station and City Hall, which would be in the 105 E. Main St. building, would have access to the central lobby area.
The community room also would have access to the lobby.
“People will come in, whether from the front or back, and know where they are,” Wetzel said. “They will be walking into something of a lobby. There will be glass, it could be open.”
In the City Hall portion of the proposal, there would be offices for Wetzel and other city staff, a work room, a reception area, a records room and a meeting room.
The lower level includes an area for storage, an archive room and space for mechanicals.
The second floor plan of the proposal encompasses the three buildings and included the council chambers, municipal court, restrooms, an office for the mayor and space for the future.
Scheidler said the municipal court and council chambers spaces could be combined.
“I’d like to see that whole area be flexible,” Ald. Donna Allenstein said.
She favors making one large room, which could be used by the municipal court when it is held during the day and then as the council chambers when meetings are held in the evening.
“I think that would be pretty easy to accomplish,” Scheidler said.
Allenstein also said it would be a good idea to include a counter in that room with a sink and electrical outlets so food could be brought upstairs for events.
Whether the mayor’s office should be on the main floor or upstairs was also discussed.
Initially, the plan called for the mayor’s office to be located next to the city adminstrator’s office.
The latest plan moved the mayor’s office upstairs.
City resident Chris Gunderson said there are two things people will be looking at in the plan – the community center portion of the project and the mayor’s office.
“He’s part of city government,” Gunderson said of the mayor. “He should be visible.”
Turning the proposed meeting room on the main level of City Hall into the mayor’s office was recommended.
In all, there is 6,893 square feet of space on the main level, 4,349 square feet in the basement and 5,991 square feet of space on the second floor.
Also discussed last week were the kitchen and community room spaces.
In the latest drawing, the kitchen is proposed to be 213 square feet and the community room 553 square feet.
Ald. Bruce Brunner said that is an important part of the plan.
The discussion included whether the size of the kitchen should be decreased to allow for a larger community room and if a restroom could be added in the community room.
Scheidler said what he picked up in the discussion was the council wants the community room to be visible, a showcase and to have restrooms which are easily accessed.