Former Mayor George Tripp says the city moved out of the Memorial Building in 1981 for a good reason and remodeling it now for a new city administration building would be a mistake.
"They moved out because it wasn't adequate," Tripp said.The city's offices are now located in an old church that the city purchased from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. City officials say the building's condition has deteriorated to the point that a new administration building is needed soon. The floors are buckling, the walls are crumbling and the furnace needs constant repair.
Four members of the City Council favor construction of a new administration building, but Mayor Guy Cash has refused to sign the accepted bid of $419,000. Cash said the city would be wiser to remodel the Memorial Building for use as an administration building.
"If they do remodel it for their administration building, they'd be moving from one old building to another old building," Tripp said.
Tripp said the city should go ahead with the city building master plan that was adopted about three years ago - which includes a new administration building and the recently completed public safety building and li-brary/senior citizens building.
The administration building would be built next to the other two buildings on 100 East and 200 North. The electrical, water and sewer connections are already in place, and parking around the other two buildings has been extended in anticipation of the new administration building.
Tripp said remodeling the Memorial Building was considered when the building master plan was adopted. At that time, the City Council felt that it would be feasible. Tripp said one structural engineer estimated that it would cost about $82 a square foot to remodel the building.
"Nobody objected to the (city building master plan) when it was adopted. We felt that the cost of remodeling the Memorial Building was prohibitive to bringing it up to code," Tripp said.
Cash was a councilman when the plan was adopted and voted in favor of the new administration building. But he said his feelings changed when bids on the building came in over $450,000. He said city architects estimated the building would cost about $350,000.
"Had I not been shocked at the amount of the bid, I probably would not have looked into remodeling the Memorial Building," Cash said.
A study completed by the architectural firm of Cooper/Roberts states the Memorial Building could be remodeled for about $300,000. But Tripp and Councilman Keith Jenkins said that price would not bring the building up to current seismic codes.
"I'm concerned that the building won't meet earthquake codes," Tripp said.
Cash presented the Council Tuesday with a list of objectives for the new administrative offices. The list also included 27 facts and opinions mentioned in discussions on the new building.
"My mind is not closed. I'm simply asking the Council and the citizens to consider these facts . . . and weigh the facts and determine the best possible action that can be taken," Cash said. "I just have not seen any evidence that convinces me that we'd be more prudent to (build a new building)."
The council agreed to table the matter and further analyze the study completed by Cooper/Roberts.