Lansing City Council explores options for City offices; Public meeting set for November 16

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Recent Lansing City Council meetings have included discussions about relocating city offices into space in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District’s (EACSD) former Middle School building on Main Street in Lansing. This discussion is the result of several months of exploring options by the Building and Grounds Committee consisting of council members David Darling (now replaced by Deb Volker) and Becky Conway, as well as Lansing City Clerk Katie Becker.
Explorations of options began as the condition of the current Lansing City Hall, located at 201 John Street, have presented overwhelming problems, resulting in uncomfortable and possibly dangerous working conditions to those who have offices in the building. The list of needed upgrades for the current building include major renovations which are costly, and therefore, the ultimate question involves the value of short-term remedies and the ultimate need for a longer-term solution.
The estimate from a local contractor for the necessary repairs and renovations for the entire building is $168,500. Just patching up the problems but not addressing the lack of space for the police department carries an approximate $50,000 price tag.
Lansing Mayor Mike Brennan stated, “If we want to make the proper renovations to the current building, it would be a sizable investment. Ideally, we’d love to build a new center or move to a historically-restored building, but for the immediate need, the Building and Grounds Committee and the Council view the former Middle School building as the most cost effective and functional option for relocating the entire City’s operations.”
Mayor Brennan and City Clerk Becker outlined the issues that need to be resolved within the current city hall building.
One issue is water. Last spring’s rain brought a deluge of water into the basement as well as through the roof. The water leaking through the ceiling and electrical fixtures was tracked down to a hole in the roof. While exploring this issue, maintenance workers found evidence of a large bat infestation involving a large amount of feces, or guano, in the attic. This rain water mixed with feces leaked into office space until the hole was repaired. In examining the roof, workers found that the entire roof needed to be replaced because many areas are in need of patching as a temporary solution.
Additional water comes into the basement each time it rains. Important documents are kept in the basement because it is the only storage space that the City offices have. Several of those items have been ruined by the water issue. Mold and mildew have grown due to the ongoing problem with water and also with sewage, which backs up into the basement. Dealing with eliminating mold is a costly process, and mold adversely affects those who must be in the environment, both employees and those who visit city hall.
The foundation around the building is in need of repair to support building walls which are currently leaning and bulging. All of the siding on the building needs to be replaced. A casual observer can walk by the building and see the curled up ends of the siding. In addition, the sills and sashes of all the windows are rotted. If the windows are opened, they cannot be closed again from inside the building.
The air conditioner and furnace need to be replaced within the building. Estimates of replacement costs for these items center around $4,500.

SPACE CONSIDERATIONS
Beyond the building repairs that need to be made, the space is too small for the current number of offices housed in the building. The current city hall includes the council chambers, the City Clerk’s office, the Deputy Clerk’s office, and the Lansing Police Department, which, in itself, houses three officers’ desks.
The room used by the police department is not large enough to house the desks unless they all touch. There is no room for evidence, which ideally must be stored in a safe place. Currently, a spot in the moldy basement is the only secure place available. The biggest problem occurs for the police because they do not have a separate interrogation room, which is only supposed to have one entrance/exit with no windows. Since the police must use their office for such activity, this is not a desirable location since there are windows and multiple doors into the space. That space is also in need of new flooring.
Approximate square footage of the current building is 1,200 square feet, but this building has gone through several uses and owners with different portions being added on, which has left a lot of unusable chopped-up space out of the 1,200 feet. City hall officials believe it became Lansing City Hall sometime in the 1980s.

CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS
Many agree that the location of the current city hall is ideal, but the physical condition of the building has become a major problem. After examining all these issues and receiving estimates which totaled almost $170,000, the Council began looking for alternative locations. The consensus was that the current building was not worth investing funds in.
A new building in the same location would be ideal, but using the rough estimate of $150 per square foot would result in an approximate cost of $255,000 for new construction. Plus, the replacement of the building would take time since a new building would require a voter’s referendum, in addition to building time.
Renovation of the building at a cost of approximately $170,000, which would include a new roof, new siding, shoring up the foundation, new windows and squaring up the building, would also take additional time but would not require a referendum. Again, time and relocating during the renovation are deterrents to that option. It would require securing a bond. Both options at the current city hall location would result in an increase in local taxes.

FORMER MIDDLE SCHOOL
As talked about in previous council sessions, the EACSD former Middle School building has available space which would need minimal remodeling in order to make it work as usable space for all the city offices. Several other options were considered for relocation of the city offices, such as the basement of the library and available buildings downtown. Most would need extensive remodeling, were too small, or were not easily accessible to the public.
The Building and Grounds Committee, city employees, and city council first considered the second floor of the former Middle School but decided that the main floor had better access for the general public and better handicap accessibility. Currently, the gym at the former Middle School is used for practices but those are primarily after school, in the evening and on weekends. The Alternative School classrooms are also at the former Middle School building. School officials said that the staff and students could use a different entrance and the classrooms could be separated by a portable divider from the city offices. The district uses the second floor for storage.
If the city offices were to relocate to the former Middle School building, they would use approximately 1,400 square feet of the building. The former teacher’s lounge and part of a classroom would house the police department, with separate spaces for interrogation and evidence. The former concession stand area would become the deputy clerk’s office, where people could easily stop to pay bills. The city clerk’s office would be in the school’s former office space. This would also offer space for storage of file cabinets and other important papers. The council chambers would also be in a former classroom. All offices would be keyed separately from the school locks. A small wall would need to be added to the concession stand area, and some electrical work would also be needed. Air conditioning for the offices would also be installed. The cost for those adjustments to the space would be approximately $8,000, with most of that cost going for air conditioning units that could be moved if the city offices moved elsewhere. Current restrooms would be used.
If the former Middle School space is chosen as the best alternative, the Eastern Allamakee Community School District and the City of Lansing would enter into a lease agreement. No specific length has been determined, but it would probably be on a year-by-year basis. Both the city attorney and the school district’s attorney would review the document. Rent for the space would be $500 per month plus $100 toward utility costs. The building is heated because of the alternative school and gym use. Air conditioning would be on a separate meter for the City. The space is functional and could be operational in a very short time frame. Other usage costs, such as telephone usage, water and sewer, would remain approximately the same as the current site.
Dr. Dale Crozier, Superintendent of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District, stated, “Anytime the district and the City can work together, it is a win/win situation. We are fine with the City using the space and we will continue as is if they chose not to. There would be no additional costs to the school district for this relocation. We already keep the building open. As long as both parties find the relocation agreeable, it could continue as long as both parties are happy with the situation. Such a collaboration should be beneficial for the greater public good. There are no downsides  from the school’s perspective.”
The City would continue to maintain the parking lot at the old city hall location since many use that lot as a park and ride area. It also is one of the few 24-hour lots where cars can remain overnight. The current building would probably be demolished. Eventually, the City will need to examine whether it has the resources to build a new building or to establish offices in a different area, but for the immediate need, the former Middle School building seems to offer the most functional usable space for a minimal cost to the tax payer.

COMMUNITY NOT INFORMED
At one of the recent city council meetings, retired City employee John Rethwisch raised several questions about the need for the move. Rethwisch worked for the City of Lansing in the water and sewer department for 21 years before retiring approximately three years ago. Rethwisch presented the Lansing City Council with results of an informal survey he conducted in the Lansing community in regard to relocation of the City offices.
In the survey of about 27 people on Main Street, Rethwisch asked whether people were for moving the city hall, for keeping it where it is, or if they had heard about moving city hall. A majority said they had not heard anything about the need to move so they didn’t think it should move. He said the survey only asked the one question and did not present any information on any of the issues that need to be fixed in the building.
In a recent phone interview, Rethwisch stated that he felt that the community hasn’t been well informed about the need for the move, and that more information is needed about the state of the building and the costs involved with fixing those needs. He stated, “Of the issues I know about, such as the leak in the roof, the water in the basement and the window replacement, those shouldn’t cost that much to fix. I don’t think regular maintenance has been a high priority and it’s just like your house, there are a lot of ongoing issues that always need to be taken care of. If the costs are going to be a lot, then we need to have a long range plan. We should be operating on a five-year plan of maintenance and upkeep. I don’t object to moving in to the Middle School on a short-term basis, but what is the long-range plan? Maybe we should build a new city hall, but that will take a vote from the community. We need to explore all the options.”
“The current building needs to be assessed,” Rethwisch continued. “The question needs to be, will the building be adequate five years from now? Yes, the building, as it stands, has shortcomings, but if we want a new building, that’s something the voters will have to decide. If the current location is unsafe or unhealthy, then the offices may have to move. If it can be fixed for a reasonable amount, that doesn’t mean that it closes the door to all future options. If we can fix it now with reasonable expenditures and with a long-term plan in mind that will address the shortcomings, then we should explore that option as well. Even if we close the doors on the current building, we still have the grounds to maintain.”

PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING
An informational meeting will be held Monday, November 16 at 6 p.m. at the Kerndt Brothers Community Center in Lansing.
Rethwisch said, “I’m glad the city council is holding this informational meeting on the 16th. I hope we have great attendance from those on all sides of the issue so the community’s voice can be heard, and the City officials can answer questions and present information so that the best decision for the welfare of the city can be made.”