The remodel of the City Council Chambers will include bulletproofing the dias, according to Public Works Director Sean Crumby.
The council voted unanimously this week to remodel the Council Chambers, but without the addition of a conference room. Council members cited the cost of an additional room as they discussed the project during a Tuesday, May 26, workshop.
As approved, the Chambers will be elevated on the north side (the side nearest the street), but the dias would remain in place. Three seats would be provided for the disabled. The elevated part of the room would include steps down into audience seating.
Crumby said the remodel would include bringing the Chambers into compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
Proposed security upgrades will include adding exits to the rear of the Chambers and bullet proofing the dias. According to Crumby, staff has looked at products such as Kevlar (the material used for so-called “bullet proof” vests) that would be installed under the dias.
The audio/visual system in the Chambers would also be upgraded. “The voting system in here is antiquated,” Crumby said.
Staff presented the council with three “concepts” for the remodel—all of which would go over the original $525,000 budget for the project.
The option the council chose, leaving out a proposed conference room, went just $5,000 over budget. Crumby said it would be fair to say the city would be spending less money that way.
The first and third concepts were nearly identical, except that the first would have included a conference room.
Crumby said security upgrades added $60,000 to the remodel and the discovery of hazardous materials added $20,000 to the project.
Another concept, which the council ultimately rejected, would have moved the dias to the north side of the room and made it level with the audience seating. Crumby said this was the most expensive concept.
Resident Bill Ayres said there was a conference room in the Old City Hall that had been empty for six months He said all the council had to do was walk to it.
Joanine Livingston, who lives next door to City Hall, said she didn’t know if the city needed the proposed conference room.
District Four Councilman Gary Miller asked if the project was needed. According to Crumby, the Chambers have to be brought into ADA compliance. He said the temporary ramp that was recently installed to provide access to the dias was not completely compliant. Miller said he preferred the option without the conference room, which allows for a conference room to be built in the future. Miller liked keeping the dias raised, because council members would be able to see the entire audience.
All five council members indicated a preference for the least expensive choice for the remodel.
