Joint Government Center
Why do we need a new City/County Government Complex?
The existing City Hall and the County Administration Building, both constructed in the early 1960s, are more than 50 years old. Both facilities were built prior to modern codes and standards. Both facilities have physical issues that impact operating requirements. Those issues include: inappropriate accessibility for mobility-impaired persons; insufficient power and data supply for modern technology; and inadequate heating, ventilation, and cooling.
- The County Administration Building is a former Sears Department store, which was adapted for governmental use. Although the building has served its purpose for approximately 30 years, there are issues with respect to public service, security, and availability of natural light. The building is experiencing structural problems to include water leaks and adequate ventilation. The most overcrowded spaces are those with the highest volume of public contact, such as the Assessor, Auditor, and Treasurer. The crowded conditions can result in extended wait times and loss of confidentiality.
- Nearly all components in the City Hall are suffering from some degree of overcrowding, with the Police Department and Municipal Court in particularly inadequate space. Due to differences in the nature of operations, functions such as the Police Department, Fire Department, and Municipal Court are not typically co-located with general governmental administrative functions, such as the City Council, Mayor, and Finance.
Why combine City and County Government facilities?
- PUBLIC SERVICE: A City/County government center will improve public convenience and enhance wayfinding for citizens. The public cannot always differentiate between County and City government services. Residents sometimes appear at the wrong building, resulting in confusion and frustration. A shared location would provide a single visible source of government for the public. However, some non-administrative services will continue to be satellited in other buildings, such as the Development Services Building and the Community Services Building, both as a way to provide efficient delivery of services to their particular customers, and as a cost-saving measure with respect to the new government center.
- SHARED OPERATIONS: A co-located government center presents opportunities to share resources, such as public lobbies, training rooms, conference facilities, health clinics, IT server rooms, storage rooms, fire stairs, mechanical/electrical spaces, public and staff toilets, snack bars, breakrooms, and other areas. Collocation can also facilitate communication and coordination among the various government functions.
- SHARED COST: According to Justice Planning Associates Inc, a City/County government center would be less expensive to construct than two separate facilities, and would be less costly to operate and maintain, securely and efficiently.