City Council takes small step in quest to sell city hall
Shawn Magrath Photo
NORWICH – The Norwich City Council moved to continue entertaining ideas of selling One City Plaza on Wednesday, but stopped short of committing to a final decision about keeping the property or putting it back on the tax rolls.
Council members debated the issue at a committee meeting Wednesday night, all agreeing that the city should see a detailed cost analysis before jumping at an offer from the Norwich accounting firm Cwynar and Company to purchase the former train depot at One City Plaza, where City Hall's housed, for $130,000. The idea is to relocate city offices and the eight employees who work there to the vacant third floor of the fire station next door.
The council says that there would be obvious benefits to putting the building in private hands: utility savings, spared cost of facility maintenance and insurance, and additional tax revenue from returning the property to the local tax roll. The property's listed with a $300,000 taxable value on the 2019 assessment roll.
But there are sticking points. The council doesn't have details of how the building will be used, numbers associated with moving city offices, or a plan to execute the relocation process. What's more, council members have received feedback from city residents who argue One City Hall is a community asset and that the city simply shouldn't sell.
Nonetheless, the council can't drag its feet on a decision, said City Mayor Christine Carnrike.
“The first decision you make when you're buying a house is, am I going to buy a house or not,” Carnrike said, noting that the city has received half a dozen offers on the building in recent years, including one more offer since the city started entertaining the idea in June. “That's what the City Council has to decide: Is the city planning to stay at One City Plaza?”
City officials purchased the building in the early nineties. More than $367,000 was spent to outfit the building in 1997 so that city offices could move there from where they had previously been located – in the fire station.
Another $140,000 was spent on renovating the third floor of the fire station five years ago. The city's best use for the third floor has always been to house City Hall, though city officials never followed through with a plan of action.
Carnrike said that should the Common Council decide to move city offices to the fire station, it would be at minimum cost. The expense to construct offices on the third floor would be footed by profit from One City Plaza, and the city would keep all furniture and equipment that's currently used.
“We're not spending money frivolously,” she added. “We're looking for the most beneficial use of the third floor, something that's going to meet our needs; something that's going to put property back on the tax rolls; something that's just a win for the city.”
“I think we're putting the car way before the horse,” Ward Six Alderman Robert Jeffrey said. “We have way too many factors to look at before we even talk about actually selling this property … I understand putting it back on the tax rolls; but at the cost of not doing our due diligence?”
Ward Five Alderman David Zieno added that he would like the public to voice their opinion before making a decision to sell, be it to Cwynar and Company or to any other bidder.
“I always like the idea of saving the taxpayers money, “ he said. “The one thing I've said all along is that I think the public should have the chance to provide input. Once we have numbers and know what we're talking about, I think we should hold a public hearing so people can say their piece.”
“I just want to know what it looks like,” said Ward One Alderman Matthew Caldwell, pointing out that the city doesn't have a concrete plan and that there are several options to consider, like moving city offices to the Chenango County Office Building or leasing unused office space at One City Plaza so that the city can profit while also keeping the building as an asset. “I think there's a lot of things that we can explore. I'm not opposed to selling anything, but it has to make sense.”
Caldwell also voiced concern over a decision to allow the company that made a purchase offer to store office equipment in unused space of City Hall, calling it a “bad idea.”
Council members agreed to have the city attorney contact the Cwynar and Company to get more details on their intended purpose for the building. Additionally, they asked the city treasurer to compile the numbers associated with a possible move for their review.
Under the Norwich City Charter, the Common Council may decide to sell or lease real estate owned by the city so long as it's not required for city use. The transaction can also happen “at a negotiated price without advertisement.”
Council members debated the issue at a committee meeting Wednesday night, all agreeing that the city should see a detailed cost analysis before jumping at an offer from the Norwich accounting firm Cwynar and Company to purchase the former train depot at One City Plaza, where City Hall's housed, for $130,000. The idea is to relocate city offices and the eight employees who work there to the vacant third floor of the fire station next door.
The council says that there would be obvious benefits to putting the building in private hands: utility savings, spared cost of facility maintenance and insurance, and additional tax revenue from returning the property to the local tax roll. The property's listed with a $300,000 taxable value on the 2019 assessment roll.
But there are sticking points. The council doesn't have details of how the building will be used, numbers associated with moving city offices, or a plan to execute the relocation process. What's more, council members have received feedback from city residents who argue One City Hall is a community asset and that the city simply shouldn't sell.
Nonetheless, the council can't drag its feet on a decision, said City Mayor Christine Carnrike.
“The first decision you make when you're buying a house is, am I going to buy a house or not,” Carnrike said, noting that the city has received half a dozen offers on the building in recent years, including one more offer since the city started entertaining the idea in June. “That's what the City Council has to decide: Is the city planning to stay at One City Plaza?”
City officials purchased the building in the early nineties. More than $367,000 was spent to outfit the building in 1997 so that city offices could move there from where they had previously been located – in the fire station.
Another $140,000 was spent on renovating the third floor of the fire station five years ago. The city's best use for the third floor has always been to house City Hall, though city officials never followed through with a plan of action.
Carnrike said that should the Common Council decide to move city offices to the fire station, it would be at minimum cost. The expense to construct offices on the third floor would be footed by profit from One City Plaza, and the city would keep all furniture and equipment that's currently used.
“We're not spending money frivolously,” she added. “We're looking for the most beneficial use of the third floor, something that's going to meet our needs; something that's going to put property back on the tax rolls; something that's just a win for the city.”
“I think we're putting the car way before the horse,” Ward Six Alderman Robert Jeffrey said. “We have way too many factors to look at before we even talk about actually selling this property … I understand putting it back on the tax rolls; but at the cost of not doing our due diligence?”
Ward Five Alderman David Zieno added that he would like the public to voice their opinion before making a decision to sell, be it to Cwynar and Company or to any other bidder.
“I always like the idea of saving the taxpayers money, “ he said. “The one thing I've said all along is that I think the public should have the chance to provide input. Once we have numbers and know what we're talking about, I think we should hold a public hearing so people can say their piece.”
“I just want to know what it looks like,” said Ward One Alderman Matthew Caldwell, pointing out that the city doesn't have a concrete plan and that there are several options to consider, like moving city offices to the Chenango County Office Building or leasing unused office space at One City Plaza so that the city can profit while also keeping the building as an asset. “I think there's a lot of things that we can explore. I'm not opposed to selling anything, but it has to make sense.”
Caldwell also voiced concern over a decision to allow the company that made a purchase offer to store office equipment in unused space of City Hall, calling it a “bad idea.”
Council members agreed to have the city attorney contact the Cwynar and Company to get more details on their intended purpose for the building. Additionally, they asked the city treasurer to compile the numbers associated with a possible move for their review.
Under the Norwich City Charter, the Common Council may decide to sell or lease real estate owned by the city so long as it's not required for city use. The transaction can also happen “at a negotiated price without advertisement.”
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