New London City Council makes an offer on a new community center

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? A new community center is likely on its way for the City of New London.

On Wednesday, during a joint meeting with the New London Utilities Trustees, the city council approved submitting an offer on a property with the intent of turning it into a new community center.

The current community hall, located at 106 North Division Street, is, to say the least, out of date and in need of a long list of repairs. When the old lumberyard office, located at 103 West Washington Street, went on the market, the council began meeting in closed session to discuss purchasing it. The property is listed at $64,100.

?The only question I?ve got is where are we going to be at the end of this project,? said Councilman Greg Malott. He cautioned the council at strictly looking at the price of the property as the former lumberyard needed some work as well before being converted into a community hall and council chamber.

Council member Tom Davis agreed, questioning if the council should offer lower than the asking price. Davis said he had looked at the property prior to the special meeting and noted the bathrooms would need to be updated and made ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, the floor would need to be replaced and although the roof looked good now, there was some water damage in the ceiling.

?I think it?ll be an all right community center, we?re just going to have to put some money into it,? he added.

Dan Berner, council member, said there was probably around $25,000 worth of updates that would have to take place before the building could be rented out for use.

?The price per square feet,? Councilman Frank Staley said, ?is very economical. I don?t think you?re going to get it cheaper.? And with the fear of either offending the owner with a lower price or risk having someone purchase it out from under them, Staley moved to offer $64,100 for the property. The council agreed unanimously.

In other renovation news, the council nominated Malott and utility trustee Jerry Wilhelm to work together to reconfigure the shelter house at City Park. Malott has been a proponent of constructing or renovating the current shelter house. However, after the council received a quote of nearly $60,000 to demolish and rebuild the shelter house, they decided a smaller scale project would be a better option.

On Wednesday, Wilhelm suggested lifting the structure and redoing the concrete flooring as well as rebuilding the bathrooms. Wilhelm said the city could find cost-effective ways to update the shelter house; they just might have to get creative.

Lastly, the council and trustees discussed purchasing LED holiday pole decorations for the streetlights on Main Street in the business district.

Wilhelm said he was looking to purchase enough lights to cover the poles all the way through the business district, this would come at a total of $5,131.60, which he proposed splitting between the utilities and the city.

Davis said he was opposed to spending $2,500 on holiday lights, as there were fiscally responsible things the city could use the money for.

Utility trustee Jodi Jackson said she felt the holiday lights were a good community investment. Fellow trustee Sid Schmitt agreed. ?I think it?s money well spent because we?re showing off our town,? he said.

Councilman Kirk Miller concurred and made a motion the city pay half of the cost for the lights. However, the motion died as no one from the council seconded it. The utility trustees approved purchasing the items alone.