The City Hall Advisory Committee has another informal neighborhood “chat” scheduled at Sorelli Pizza (22402 44th Avenue W) on Wednesday, May 17 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
On Thursday, May 18, the Committee has their regular meeting at Interim City Hall (6100 219th Street SW #220) at 6:30 p.m. At this meeting, the Committee will finalize their recommendation for the City Council.
The third City Hall community meeting held May 10 attracted over 40 guests to Cedar Way Elementary School for an interactive discussion and responses to a variety of questions about project costs and components, financing, space needs, property taxes, and ballot language.
ARC Architects presented further refined preliminary layouts for a future City Hall following public input from the April 20 community meeting. Two concepts featured stand-alone City Hall layouts and the third showed City Hall attached to the Police Station. Each drawing showed parking and vehicle traffic circulation.
The City Hall Advisory Committee presented the latest “base model” City Hall with reductions that lowered the initial cost estimate by about 10 percent. The current cost estimate of a stand-alone City Hall with 19,210 square feet is about $11.6 million.
After much discussion at their May 4 meeting, the Committee unanimously approved a motion to put forth this “base model” proposal and another option that would add about 3,100 square feet of space for the Police Department. The cost estimate for the City Hall with added space for the Police Department is about $13.4 million.
The Committee will make a recommendation to the City Council on June 5 and hopes to get additional input this week. One idea they would like feedback on is putting forth two propositions on the November ballot. This concept was developed in response to residents who expressed that they would like a City Hall voted on separately from the added space for the Police Department.
Under this scenario, the first proposition would be for a stand-alone City Hall to address the financial challenge of only having four years of levy revenue for rent. The second proposition to also fund added space for the Police Department would be contingent upon the City Hall measure passing since the Police Department currently has a permanent building. The Police Department proposition could also be added to a future ballot to see if a City Hall measure would pass first. Discussion on this item as well as the selection of a preliminary layout will take place at their May 18 meeting.
On June 5, the Committee will host an open house from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Interim City Hall to show how the project developed from beginning to end. Following the open house, the Committee will present its recommendation to City Council during the Council’s regular meeting that begins at 7:00 p.m.
Whether or not you are able to attend a meeting, an online comment form is available on the City Hall Advisory Committee webpage at www.cityofmlt.com/1899. The city encourages everyone to participate and provide input. Regular project updates continue to be posted.
For more information, please email cityhall2017@ci.mlt.wa.us or call Community Relations Director Virginia Olsen at (425) 744-6206.
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