After months of debate, the Sweet Home City Council decided last week that it would begin to meet in the City Hall Annex in May.
Public Works crews have remodeled the modular building behind City Hall on 12th Avenue. The building was used by the Police Department after the department was flooded out of the City Hall basement in 1996. Police moved into a new building nearly a year ago.
Since that time, the council has agreed to spend about $10,000 each to remodel the modular building and make the basement usable by city engineering staff.
In the process, Public Works administration will be moved to City Hall into the court clerks’ office. Planning and code enforcement will move into the council chamber. Court staff will move into the annex with the new courtroom.
The annex will include a jury room, a room where attorneys can meet with clients and a judge’s chamber.
The annex will alleviate space pressure in City Hall during court on Thursdays when people spill into the hallways before seeing the judge.
The council’s decision on April 9 concludes a months-long debate about where to meet. The council had the option of meeting in the Police Department meeting room or in the new courtroom.
The new courtroom is double the size of the room to accommodate court visitors and large council meetings. The meeting room at the Police Department is a little larger. Meeting there would mean the city would need to purchase new sound equipment.
Councilmen Jim Gourley and Dick Hill favored meeting at the Police Department. Robert G. Danielson preferred the council continue meeting in City Hall. Bob McIntire, Tim McQueary, Jim Bean and Mayor Craig Fentiman favored the annex.
The citizens are used to meeting at City Hall, McIntire said. The new room is twice the size and will handle larger meetings.
“The annex is in close proximity to City Hall,” Fentiman said. If staff or councilmen need to access City Hall, it’s not a problem. “It’s looking very nice. I would be happy with the annex.”
The annex meets the council’s goals to free up space for staff, Bean said. The size should help the council, but the council is always free later to move again.
The Police Department looks better, Hill said. It makes a better impression and has better lighting.
The only thing Danielson said he’s heard is a problem is court on Thursdays. The municipal court is moving to the new building, but “I don’t see why we have to move.”
At times when the council needs more space, it can hold its meetings in different places as it has in the past, Danielson said. He’s yet to see “a valid reason why we have to move.”