By Aurora Ellison
Just as every man needs a place to hang his hat, every city hall needs a place to hang its flag.
Since an arson fire destroyed Mill City City Hall last fall, city council and committee meetings have been conducted in various places around town. But they still begin every meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a large American flag that City Recorder Stacie Cook carries to meetings.
City Hall is currently in a small building on Broadway Street. The facility is barely large enough to conduct daily business and receive water payments, and too small for meetings.
Needless to say, Cook was excited at the open house featuring the top three contractors and their design for a permanent structure. Cook is on the Design Build Committee, which is overseeing the construction of a new City Hall and hosted the open house to get the public’s feedback.
City officials were surprised at the turnout of around 50 residents, who were eager to see the designs and write comments.
Modern Building Systems, Inc., in Aumsville presented its modular building design. Ken Mero, vice president of sales, said the advantage his company has is it could finish quickly. Modern would like to start installing the building as early as June.
Citizens asked most about price but they were also interested in aesthetics. One submitted a comment that while Modern’s price of $260,000 was attractive the plain design lacked aesthetic “pop.”
Resident Todd Miller summed up what attendees were looking for in a new City Hall, “It’s about what you can get for the money.”
The city’s insurance valued the old building at $256,000, Cook said, but might cover more or less than that amount depending on the cost of replacement. The Design Build Committee suggested contractors work in a price range of $250,000-300,000.
“We’re covered for replacement… We’ll be fine as long as we don’t do anything extravagant,” Cook said.
Jim Clough of Benchmark Builders worked with architect Andrew Bremmeyer to create an attractive design featuring a clock tower, which drew many positive comments. The estimated cost of the clock, $9,500, was not included in the overall bid of $326,000.
Clough said he has an advantage because he is a “local yokel” from Gates. He plans to use local materials and labor, and has even suggested recruiting some volunteer labor.
Precision Construction Co. of Portland highlighted the functionality of its open lobby, giving visitors access to more than one person, in case the receptionist is not available and positioning the sheriff’s office closest to the street.
Precision intends to use local supplies and materials, including timber. Adam Thomas, Precision’s contractor, focused on “fitting the building to the community” and building for longevity.
The contractor chosen will be responsible for the entire project, including installing utilities and the parking lot.
The Design Build Committee will recommend a builder to the council on March 8. The city council wants to start building this summer and finish at least the outside so that it’s watertight by fall, councilor Susann Heller said.
The city hall requires meeting space for the City Council and the Municipal Court. Heller envisions a space that would also be available for other public meetings. “We hope to have something our community can be proud of,” she said.
Although Cook jokes that she wants a spa installed next to her office, she’s looking forward to having a permanent location for city business, and a place to hang the flag.
