Aurora Panel OKs city hall upgrades
Aurora residents may notice council chambers -- and the mayor's office -- looking a bit more polished in the next few years.
The city's committee of the whole Tuesday gave preliminary approval to about $227,000 worth of upgrades for the second and third floors of city hall.
The resolution now needs approval from the city council.
Included in the city's 2007 budget is $127,000 for a new ceiling, flooring, lighting, painting and some furniture for council chambers on the second floor and the mayor's office a floor above.
The project will carry into next year, with $100,000 allocated in the 2008 budget.
Alderman Rick Lawrence objected to the plan, saying they need $60,000 to repair a water main that unexpectedly broke, as well as funds for other projects.
"Council chambers doesn't look that bad to me," he said. "We've got a lot of other projects that need to be done."
City leaders say both floors are in need of upgrades.
Council chambers will get new carpet, fresh paint and reupholstered seats. The asbestos-containing ceiling also will be replaced.
The room will get a more efficient layout, making better use of space around the dais, finance committee chairman Alderman Robert O'Connor said.
"There's really no flexibility (now)," he said.
The council chamber improvements have been talked about for a few years, he said, while funds already were allocated for third-floor upgrades this year. Aldermen decided to combine the two projects, he said.
The mayor's office will see new carpeting, ceiling tiles and paint. About $34,000 will be spent on new furnishings, including open office area, copy center and break area workstations, as well as a new desk, conference table and chairs and a multimedia display area.