Supervisor. Clerk. Treasurer. Together again after about nine years working in two separate buildings.
The three offices are set to occupy a single floor in the new township hall near Sashabaw Road.
Offices for supervisor, clerk, teasurer and the Assessing Department will be on the upper level of the 18,300-square-foot facility on Waldon Center Drive. Building, and Park and Recreation departments will be in the lower level.
‘Every square inch of this building will be used,? said Dave Belcher, building director.
Wagner and Belcher met with interior designers at the new building to give them a feel for its layout.
‘I thought that it was very informative,? said Wagner. ‘The meeting went well and hopefully we’re going to see some stuff from them in the next couple of weeks.?
The hall will include a 40-by-63-foot meeting room, seating 130 people full capacity, or 84 with dividers in place. The room will include two flat-screen televisions and two drop down screens.
‘That is going to be just fantastic. One of the problems we have is space and availability,” said Supervisor David Wagner. “Now we’ll have space available, if we’re going to do training or something like that. They will be in a training area divided off of that big room. It’s just a real, real plus for everybody.?
Regular public meetings for the township have been at Independence Township Library. Large meetings have been at school auditoriums.
Township government will move into the new building just as four members of the Board of Trustees begin their terms. Curt Carson, Mark Petterson, David Lohmeier, and Neil Wallace won the August primary and, without Democratic opponents, are expected to win in November’s general election.
Presumptive Trustee Mark Petterson said the board got a good deal. However, he noted a new township hall should have been purchased 20 years ago.
“I know there are a lot of people very upset about it, but I have to take my hat off to the supervisor and the other board members who did vote for it,? said Petterson. ‘Hooray for them, they did something that was long over due and most importantly they did it without raising our taxes. To me, that’s the number one thing.?
Preseumptive Trustee David Lohmeier said he was surprised the board took such action a few weeks prior to November’s election.
‘I find it hard to give judgment on the deal because I haven’t seen the details,? he said.
However, Lohmeier did say he sent a note to Wagner asking to be briefed and received a message back that he was willing to meet with him.
‘I wouldn’t be prudent if I wasn’t concerned about the transaction, just given the magnitude of it. If nothing else, it’s a massive expenditure of taxpayers’ dollars,? said Lohmeier. ‘We haven’t spent this type of capital on an asset in a while, and whether it’s a loan from water and sewer or spending out of the general fund, it’s still taxpayers’ dollars that are paying back the loan.?
Lohmeir said it will impact future spending. He also noted he was not in favor of everything taking place ‘behind closed doors.?
‘I don’t deny that it’s needed because we have an outdated building, it has barriers to handicap and so on, but this is a heck of a replacement,? Lohmeir said. ‘I’m not a big fan of an expense of this magnitude not having some public comment. Whether or not you have to is beside the point. My opinion is you should, as opposed to whether you are legally required to do it.?
Primary winners Neil Wallace and Curt Carson were unavailable for comment.
The 50 township employees are expected to move into the new building in February. The current township hall, built in 1910, was traded to Ed Adler, developer of the new township hall, in exchange for more property. Its Main Street location is zoned residential.
An informational meeting about the new town hall is set for 7:30 p.m., Oct. 7, at Independence Township Library.