Norwich mayor supports moving city hall
(Shawn Magrath Photo)
NORWICH – The City of Norwich is looking at consolidating municipal offices and moving eight employees working at the current train station building into the fire station to save costs to taxpayers, explained Norwich City Mayor Christine Carnrike Thursday.
The city announced it was considering selling the building in early July after being contacted with an offer to buy One City Plaza for $130,000.
The decision to sell the property will be made by the city council in a future public meeting following a public discussion said the mayor. The offer is still in the first phases, she said.
The city received feedback through phone calls and social media asking about the sale. The mayor said many wanted to understand the process and wanted to know why the sale wasn't being advertised more.
“There was a lot of, you know, 'we'll offer you a 135, I'll offer a 140, final offer,'” said Carnrike.
In response the city's director of finance, Dee DuFour, sent a notice out to the public earlier this week:
“The local law allows the Norwich Common Council to sell or lease real estate owned by the city so long as it's not required for city use. Such real estate 'may be sold or leased at a negotiated price without advertisement, or as provided by Title XII [section] 214-220 of the city charter.'"
"No matter which process is taken, the Common Council must approve the final transaction before the property may be transferred to another party,” the memo stated.
“Some people wonder why, how – not fully understanding the process or how the charter defines how that's taken care of,” said Carnrike. She said the council was currently waiting to here a recommendation from the city attorney, Steve Natoli, about the proposal.
The mayor said she has received several offers to buy the building since taking office. She said she supported the current proposal to buy city hall.
“I do believe it is a fair offer. It's actually more then the previous offers that we've had for the building,” she said. “It's more than the money; it's the use of the building. Obviously the city would not entertain any offer from anyone who has plans to change the exteriors, or demolish, or any of that kind of crazy stuff.”
In early July, a Norwich accounting firm, Cwynar & Company made the offer. The company has 11 employees and operated in the area for about 30 years. It is also the firm the city hires to conduct annual independent audits. However that multi-year contract ended this year.
“Basically what happened is we are looking for a new office space because we've outgrown ours here. We haven't heard anything back,” said Daniel J. Farrow, a certified accountant speaking for the company Friday.
“If it did go through, somehow, we would not be changing any of the historical aspects of the building. No major modifications. We like the building, we like the historical charm,” he said.
By consolidating the city's office, Carnrike said “utilities, maintenance, the upkeep on that, we're already paying for that at the firehouse. It is a lot more energy efficient than the the current one we are in.”
According to Carnrike, when the city first occupied the current city hall in 1997, it was always intended as a temporary arrangement. The train station building is next door and across the railroad tracks from the fire department along East Main Street.
She said before that, the city had offices in the first floor of the fire department. However, under the current proposal, the city office would be on the fire station's third floor, following an outline from at least 2014 when money was spent on the floor to refurbish it and make sure a publicly accessible elevator met state specifications.
The mayor recalled one of her first introductions to the office involved plans of moving the offices back in 2016.
“When I came in in Jan. 2016, one thing Carl Ivarson did was take me over there when he was public superintendent,” said Carnrike. “'He said 'let me take you to where we're all going to.' I said when? Today?”
“There are so many floor plans that have been laid out through the years. It is not something new,” added Carnrike.
She said once the city receives legal and financial recommendations about the proposal, it will be discussed by the council. The mayor encouraged those with questions to contact her or city hall at 334-1230.
The city announced it was considering selling the building in early July after being contacted with an offer to buy One City Plaza for $130,000.
The decision to sell the property will be made by the city council in a future public meeting following a public discussion said the mayor. The offer is still in the first phases, she said.
The city received feedback through phone calls and social media asking about the sale. The mayor said many wanted to understand the process and wanted to know why the sale wasn't being advertised more.
“There was a lot of, you know, 'we'll offer you a 135, I'll offer a 140, final offer,'” said Carnrike.
In response the city's director of finance, Dee DuFour, sent a notice out to the public earlier this week:
“The local law allows the Norwich Common Council to sell or lease real estate owned by the city so long as it's not required for city use. Such real estate 'may be sold or leased at a negotiated price without advertisement, or as provided by Title XII [section] 214-220 of the city charter.'"
"No matter which process is taken, the Common Council must approve the final transaction before the property may be transferred to another party,” the memo stated.
“Some people wonder why, how – not fully understanding the process or how the charter defines how that's taken care of,” said Carnrike. She said the council was currently waiting to here a recommendation from the city attorney, Steve Natoli, about the proposal.
The mayor said she has received several offers to buy the building since taking office. She said she supported the current proposal to buy city hall.
“I do believe it is a fair offer. It's actually more then the previous offers that we've had for the building,” she said. “It's more than the money; it's the use of the building. Obviously the city would not entertain any offer from anyone who has plans to change the exteriors, or demolish, or any of that kind of crazy stuff.”
In early July, a Norwich accounting firm, Cwynar & Company made the offer. The company has 11 employees and operated in the area for about 30 years. It is also the firm the city hires to conduct annual independent audits. However that multi-year contract ended this year.
“Basically what happened is we are looking for a new office space because we've outgrown ours here. We haven't heard anything back,” said Daniel J. Farrow, a certified accountant speaking for the company Friday.
“If it did go through, somehow, we would not be changing any of the historical aspects of the building. No major modifications. We like the building, we like the historical charm,” he said.
By consolidating the city's office, Carnrike said “utilities, maintenance, the upkeep on that, we're already paying for that at the firehouse. It is a lot more energy efficient than the the current one we are in.”
According to Carnrike, when the city first occupied the current city hall in 1997, it was always intended as a temporary arrangement. The train station building is next door and across the railroad tracks from the fire department along East Main Street.
She said before that, the city had offices in the first floor of the fire department. However, under the current proposal, the city office would be on the fire station's third floor, following an outline from at least 2014 when money was spent on the floor to refurbish it and make sure a publicly accessible elevator met state specifications.
The mayor recalled one of her first introductions to the office involved plans of moving the offices back in 2016.
“When I came in in Jan. 2016, one thing Carl Ivarson did was take me over there when he was public superintendent,” said Carnrike. “'He said 'let me take you to where we're all going to.' I said when? Today?”
“There are so many floor plans that have been laid out through the years. It is not something new,” added Carnrike.
She said once the city receives legal and financial recommendations about the proposal, it will be discussed by the council. The mayor encouraged those with questions to contact her or city hall at 334-1230.
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