Motion to proceed with City Hall renovation fails for lack of second after executive session

After an executive session during the Aug. 5 meeting, a councilmember moved to proceed with the City Hall renovation project, taking into account the cost increases presented in executive session. The motion received no second and therefore failed, and the council took no further action on the renovation at that time.

The item had been discussed in executive session; when council reconvened at 11:06 p.m., the unnamed councilmember made the motion to “move forward with the renovation project of the City Hall and taking into account the cost increases that were presented.” No other councilmember seconded that motion, and the presiding mayor declared the motion died for lack of a second. A councilmember who had reserved comment during executive session then provided remarks explaining a preference to delay action, saying not moving forward now would avoid potentially higher future costs, and wished Mayor Pro Tem Pat Souter a speedy recovery after surgery (Souter was absent from the meeting due to a medical procedure earlier that day).

No vote occurred to authorize design, construction, or funding changes for the City Hall renovation at this meeting. The transcript does not include specific dollar amounts or funding sources discussed in executive session nor any public vote on the matter.