MASON CITY – City Hall is moving forward with its first floor renovation and it is seeking bids from construction companies at this time.
The council has already approved an amount of $76,500 based on cost estimates to complete the project.
Sealed bids will be received by the City of Mason City at the City Hall, 10 1st St. N.W., Mason City, until 10:00 a.m. on September 25th. Plans and project manual are on file with the City Clerk in City Hall.
According to council meeting minutes containing a memo from City Administrator Brent Trout, the remodeling will create office space for the City Administrator, Assistant to the City Administrator, and Volunteer Coordinator. The Human Resource Department personnel will move upstairs to the current City Administrator’s office space.
Trout goes on to explain more about the renovation:
“The next office would be for Assistant to the City Administrator Pam Stecker, and would be similar to her current office. The last area would be a counter to use for taking licenses and a work and storage area for cabinets for the Clerk’s office. The reasons for making this change are multiple. First and foremost it will allow the Human Resource Department personnel to be in the same office area. The improvements in efficiency are clearly evident from this change, better communication and availability of staff to answer employee questions. The location also provides for more privacy for the staff and employees to discuss personnel issues. The second advantage is the location of all of my departmental staff to the same office area. Ms. Black is part of my team for preparing items for City Council meetings and other information. She works directly for me and yet we are on separate floors, which is not the best situation for communication or completing projects together. She needs to be on the first floor in order for her to meet the public for license purchases.
“The ability to use Diana and Pam to cover for each other when one or the other is gone because of sick or vacation time will be very helpful for my department. Now the front office is vacant when Pam is gone and the phones roll to downstairs and calls typically end up in my voice mail because they are not aware if I am in the office. The third office to be constructed will be used by the Volunteer Program Coordinator. The improved access of volunteers by Angie being on first floor just inside the main door will be a big improvement. It will provide more visibility for her to potentially recruit others by making them aware of the program. It will provide easier access to current volunteers also. The office the Volunteer Coordinator is currently in is borrowed from the Engineering Department. This office would be utilized by a Blue Zones employee. The last item that I will touch on is the ability to improve communication with Finance Director Kevin Jacobson. Kevin is currently placed in the role of acting City Administrator in my absence. He and I work on many items together and this will allow easier access to each other by being just across the floor from each other. It will also provide easier access when he is in charge to him for my staff whenever I am gone. The City will be providing office space for the Blue Zones staff.
“My current office will need to be set aside for Blue Zones staff. These individuals will be housed on third floor temporarily but when the first floor renovation is complete they will move to their office area on the second floor. I believe that all of these improvements from the remodeling of the first floor space will improve the operations of both departments and provide office space for Blue Zones staff.”
with these statues and remodeling being done, it doesn’t sound very “lean” the council takes about.
talks about, not takes, sorry my bad.
I give up on contacting our council people. When sending a respectful E-mail it seems the Mayor is the only one to respond. His replys are always a short thank you. Solberg, our council person has never responded to an email from me, respectfully written and deserving of a reply. Isn’t this part of their job? They have forgotten there promises and who elected them and what they are there for. I believe the city hall room switching is already cut and dried. Was it not so long ago that new expensive custome cabinets from Woodharbor were installed at city hall? Or maybe that was another thing we were not informed of. Matt you could probably check this out. And now they want to remodel again? I had a feeling the Blue Zone would end up costing us money, a lot of hidden things going on there also. Forget shopping local. They get my property tax money, other wise I am taking my business elsewhere.
I wish I had more time but does someone have a bit of time to see what other cities; Austin is one, have spent in citizens dollars for their Blue Zone to work for them?
Sir Bookmeyer, Try posting your schedule. All of your reasoning sounds like excuses a child would use. BUT in this case your using some one elses money, other than YOUR OWN MONEY. move some desks and personal belongings. Heard of a computer? Email is a wonderful thing.
Here is an IDEA. Give citizens of this cities money your so eager to spend and let us come look around. Sir Bookmeyer can alot a time. Any citizen should be able to take notes of expectations and enter a plan of how to improve the layout of offices. It would be like rearranging a “home” to make a better flow of communication with in your workforce. AND ITS FREE! Maybe offer the winner a months waterbill paid. Heck of alot cheaper than what you see needed to spend. Why not Sir Bookmeyer? Please take time to answer this question; I know you’ve got to be reading reasponces of people whom are tired of all the spending that is going on under your watch.
YOU DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS REQUIRES A RESPONCE AND WAS NOT INTENDED AS A BLOG POST?
I can understand the need for improved functionality of an office, but we all knew this Blue Zone thingy was going to end up costing us money and not really impress anyone.
Half the people in Mason City don’t live in homes as nice as City Hall. Another waste of taxpayer money. Guess they feel the need to get these things done before election time. Would a city wide protest help?
If all of this moving is needed so the departments can be close to each other so they can hold hands, why don’t they just move their desks to where they need to go? Give Brent an enclosed cubical on the first floor. Problem solved for a few hundred bucks.
Why did we have to have space for Blue Zone???!!! It was not to cost the tax payers anything. Who pays the light bill for the office?? Something is not right with this blue zone. Why do we have to provide them with a office? I hope bookmeyer likes doing all this for the next mayor coming in!
VOTE THESE BUMS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let’s hear from somebody involved in this work space. Do we really need to spend the taxpayers money on this? From the outside what do we really know. We tend to holler and scream about everything.
Why do we need Blue Zone staff? What will they be doing? We we all went gaga over this I don’t remember anything being said about hiring additional staff
Good Point! Why should WE pay money for a Blue Zone Staff? What is OUR benefit? Who needs it? I would like to know their wages and WHY?
I have been in city hall many times to pay my $100 a month water bill and it looks fine! There is no need for this remodel and it is a watse of taxpayer dollars!! Once again, SHAME ON MR TROUT AND THIS COUNCIL!!!
Watch out. Afetre buying the statues and doing the office remodel they will want to raise our taxes because they ran out of money.
I would think there would be better places for the city to spend that money. But whatever the mayor and city administrator want, they get.
AGREE!!!! spend the money on a/c for the schools, cleaan up m/c, there are empty buildings the blue zone could use and be happy, THE MAYOR & CITY ADIM. SUCK AT WHAT THEY DO. but if they have a dollar lets spend it they were never taught to save…………….there go taxes agin , and they wonder why business are leaving m/c..!!!!!!