The proposed expansion of Weyauwega’s City Hall will be presented to the public early next year during three informational meetings.
Public informational meetings are scheduled for 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, with a presentation at 6:15 p.m.; 4-5 p.m. Friday. Jan. 31, with a presentation at 4:15 p.m.; and noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, with a presentation at 12:15 p.m.
The meetings will be held at City Hall.
The council scheduled the three meetings during its Thursday, Dec. 12, work session and decided to hold the meetings at various times of the day to meet the needs of city residents.
The proposed layout of City Hall was the subject of the council’s work session.
Those who attend an informational meeting will be able to comment on the layout.
“After Feb. 4, the council will have a couple sessions of open meetings,” City Administrator Patrick Wetzel said.
The input of the public will be considered by the council.
A cost estimate may then be determined, with discussion as to how the city would pay for the expansion of City Hall.
For now, a cost range of $1.8 to $2.2 million is being used for the project budget.
The proposed expansion incorporates the present location of City Hall at 109 E. Main St. and the two parcels located next to it.
A two-story building on the three lots is being considered.
The city’s discussion about how to improve City Hall began in 2008.
The options included renovating the current City Hall and constructing a new building on various sites.
Weyauwega’s current municipal building was constructed as a Fire Hall and City Hall facility and has served the community since the early 1900s.
After reviewing various options, the council decided to keep City Hall downtown.
In 2011, Cedar Corporation, of Green Bay, was retained to review City Hall’s suitability for renovation, as well as the two buildings next to it for potential opportunities.
An assessment of City Hall identified a number of items needing to be addressed including a lack of security, proper storage, meeting space, voting space, proper police functions, efficiency and energy efficiency.
There are safety and code deficiencies in the building.
The council voted in June of 2012 to buy the former mall building at 105 E. Main St. and also the building at 107 E. Main St. for the possible future expansion of City Hall.
Plans call to have those two buildings also open to the public during the three informational meetings.
At the current location, City Hall’s administrative offices are located on the ground level with the Police Department on the upper level.
Under the latest layout proposal, City Hall and the Police Department would remain at their current locations.
The building at 107 E. Main St. would be designated as a common entrance with restrooms, a dry goods and office space, an elevator and two stairways. The second level would also include a corridor/lobby and restrooms, as well as space for a judge.
The first floor of the former mall building, at 105 E. Main St., would include a community room and kitchen.
Project Manager Cory Scheidler told the council seating for 100 people would easily fit in the community room.
Upstairs would be the council chambers, a conference room, a storage area and mechanicals.
City committees and the council currently meet in the lower level of the Weyauwega Public Library.
The plan would also allow the senior nutrition meal site and voting to be held there. Both functions are currently held elsewhere in the city.
Under the previous layout considered by the council, the present City Hall would have become the police station.
Next door would have included a corridor/lobby, meeting room, restrooms and kitchen.
The old mall building would have incorporated City Hall’s administrative offices and the community room.
The latest plan allows for a larger community space.
Members of the council discussed how the larger community room could be partioned in half so more than one group could use it at once.
“I feel good about this as something they (the public) can easiy see. That is the City Hall area. What are their needs? How does this address them? That is the Police Department area. What are their needs? How does this address them?” Wetzel said.
The same could be said of the community space, he said.
“This suits our needs,” Ald. Nick Gunderson said.
The city plans to include information about the layout with next month’s utility bill.
Wetzel said those bills will go out around Jan. 10, giving people about two weeks to look at the information before the public informational meetings are held.