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SEEKING RESIDENT INPUT ON JULY 9TH

TWO POSSIBILITIES FOR VICTORIA CITY HALL

June 10th

Council 4-1 on June 10th for City Manager Don Uram to come back in two weeks with the components of a $6 million project that would include both a new City Hall and a new Public Works building, including size of the structures and the equipment that can go in them.

The motion included the scheduling of a workshop/open house to which all residents would be invited to learn about the City Hall/Public Works options for the City of Victoria. The workshop should occur within 30 days of the motion, they said.=

At the beginning of this agenda item on June 10th, Mr. Uram reminded councilmembers that the discussion last year included a price tag of about $5 million for the two buildings. "That cost crept up to about $7 million," he said.

He then pointed out that with $800,000 for the parcel on Bavaria Road (for the Public Works building) and $182,000 for the Johnson home in downtown Victoria (for a new City Hall), the total is now up to about $8 million, maybe $9 million with the addition of a library.

Said Mayor Tom O'Connor, "It's an unfortunate reality that costs did rise."

Mr. Uram said that the tax impact for a city expenditure of $6 million would be approximately $50 on a home valued at $413,000. "That value was picked," he said, "because that is when the Market Value Homestead Credit no longer applies. In 2016, the projected impact of issuing $6 million would be an annual increase of $40 in city taxes. For $8 million it would be an increase of $69. These numbers are based on a set of assumptions included in the city's Long Term Financial Plan."

Said Councilmember Jim Crowley, "In 2010 we thought we'd get two buildings for $5 million. We've been letting the buildings define the budget, and not the budget define the buildings."

"From my perspective," said Mr. Uram, "those estimates were woefully inadequate. It was an unrealistic number. I take responsibility for that. Give us a couple more weeks to get a more concrete building format and financing strategy."

Said Councilmember Tom Strigel in regard to a total expenditure of $6 million for both buildings combined, "It's not a goal in my opinion, it's a requirement."

Councilmember Jim Crowley commented that the current Public Works building is 8,000 square feet. "And now we plan on doubling it?" he asked. "We're building because of the safety issues and not the size of the building. It has escalated to 18,000 square feet -- a concrete Taj Mahal. We don't need to build that now. Let's build a building that's right for the time. We can expand as we need to."

Summarized Mayor O'Connor, "So the direction is -- we've got $6 million to build two buildings." That $6 million does not include a library.

Councilmember Lani Basa stated, "We have not seen the financing options with potentially no impact to the taxpayers. I don't believe we've given our residents a chance to talk about this. We have involved the citizens in the past. I'd like to recommend we give the community a chance to look at this and be part of the conversation -- through the internet, our local paper -- before we settle on a number or a library or no library. Let's put this before the community."

Agreed Councilmember Crowley, "We are now in a position where we can talk about it. Now it's time, yes, to put it out there."

Councilmember Basa suggested people look at the City of Winsted, about a half hour from Victoria, that Winsted was able to accomplish both a City Hall and Public Works building for $6 million.

As Councilmember Pavelko voted no to the motion, he explained, "I feel like I'd be voting for a $6 million price."

June 24th

"We have a 90-day closing on the Hartman property," said City Manager Don Uram, "which we can extend for 30 days." He was speaking of the Hartman parcel located on Stieger Lake Lane in downtown Victoria, across from the Victoria House and Vic's Blue Dog restaurants. It's a narrow parcel that lies along the LRT trail (the old railroad bed).

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