NORWICH – City officials at tonight’s Common Council meeting are expected to award local general contractor Wilcox Construction its bid for a new roof and renovations at City Hall, according to Mayor Joe Maiurano. The bid would also include interior work on the first and third floors of the Fire Department.

The decision – an on-again, off-again debate since 2004 – would bring an end to any plans to relocate City Hall offices to the third floor of the adjacent Fire Department. The proposition was strongly opposed by the majority of city residents at a June 1 public forum scheduled to address the issue.

At that meeting, approximately 30 city residents gathered to discuss the proposed renovations versus the relocation, and while city officials were aware of the financial benefits of such a move, they ultimately decided to side with the public majority.

Said the mayor at the time, “I think it’s very important for us to try and accomplish what the people of the city would like to see accomplished. As city leaders, it’s our responsibility to listen to what they have to say; this is their city.”