City Commission to Meet at Depot Site At Least Through Year's End
City Commission to Meet at Depot Site At Least Through Year's End
City Hall May Not Be Occupied for Up to Six Months, Says Commission Head
October 23, 2010
By: Dave Rogers
City commissioners will continue to meet at the Pere Marquette Union Station Depot at least through the end of the year, says Commission President Chris Shannon.
The commission is meeting on tables and chairs set up in the former waiting room on the first floor, with an expansive conference room on the second floor available for committees and closed meetings, he said.
The depot facilities are being made available through arrangements with the Bay Area Community Foundation. Rental amounts were not disclosed for that facility or for the other temporary locations of city operations, the former Social Security Administration Building, 700 Fourth Avenue or the former Great Lakes Bank, 260 Washington Avenue at Tenth Street.
Other sites where city operations are temporarily being conducted include the city service building on Water Street and the central fire station at Center and Lincoln avenues.
The fire and water damaged city hall is the focus of intense cleanup efforts by ServPro and other firms, as well as city workers, with costs covered by a special emergency hazards insurance policy, according to reports.
"We're pretty well set up on a temporary basis at the depot, with a sound system and other needs," Commissioner Shannon said. Bay3TV is not live for the commission meetings but taped reports will be broadcast.
At Monday night's meeting commissioners will hear a report on sewer utility costs and activities from several officials. Consideration of a proposal to merge the water system with the Saginaw-Midland line to Whitestone Point, AuGres, is ongoing, he said.
In other recent action, the city commission . . .
Advanced a plan to prohibit the feeding of waterfowl in public areas, with the exception of the Carroll Park Duck Pond; this proposal is aimed at minimizing the public health and sanitation risks from waterfowl feeding in areas such as the Riverwalk, public docks and piers, bridges and boat launches.
Approved $581,000 in renovations to Birney Park to provide new playground equipment, enhances entryways and additional signage at the north end of the park; low bidder is Majestic Construction of Caro and work will commence this fall subject to approval of several grants.
Began consideration of a proposal to establish a City Hall and Armory Historic Preservation District; the aim of this plan is to achieve a $420,000 state historic tax credit to be used to help offset costs of the city hall roof repairs.
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