City staff on Aug. 11 presented a near-final plan to reconfigure and renovate the Second Floor of Sanford City Hall to increase public access at the elevator, add private interview spaces, and create more individual office space for departments.

City Manager Anthony Bonaparte introduced the project and said assistant city manager Craig Ratzek and outside designers Forefront and ZHA helped develop the plan. "We tried to do it in house, but we quickly found out that we needed some professional help with some design services," Bonaparte said. Ratzek reviewed the proposed floor plan, noting most changes are on the building's south side and that visitor-focused departments would be relocated closest to the elevator.

The renovation would relocate LAHEAP and CDBG customer service areas to create an enlarged waiting room and a private room for discussions of personal financial information; add separate offices for fire inspectors to allow quieter space for plan review; move human resources counter closer to the hallway while creating a shared conference room for confidential employment matters; expand IT office space and add a shared IT/finance conference room adjacent to the server room that will require sound insulation; and rework finance offices to replace partitioned "offices within offices" with individual work areas for accountants.

Designers plan to mirror the secured counter concept now used by the planning division: a counter and secure door that keep the department accessible to the public while improving employee safety. Bonaparte said employee survey results showed low scores on safety and security, prompting adoption of that counter-and-door model across several departments.

Ratzek said construction documents are nearly complete and ZHA was conducting a final review. "We're about 100% done with plans. We're ready for construction documents," he said, and staff hope to put the project out to bid once documents are complete. He estimated construction could begin in early 2026 and last about eight months, with work done in phases and some after-hours/weekend work to reduce disruption.

On logistics, staff told commissioners they will try to limit disruption and offer department directors discretion over remote work during construction. Ratzek flagged fixed infrastructure constraints in the IT/server area — a server room, extinguishing system and a small transformer — that cannot be moved and will require design accommodations.

Commissioners asked about storage and records-retention plans to free space; Bonaparte said departments are addressing record-retention rules and may use off-site storage or surplus disposal. Commissioners also confirmed the servers have separate temperature controls and standby power; staff said they do not expect the renovation to affect server operations.

No formal action was taken; staff requested direction and indicated they will proceed to finalize construction documents, then seek bids and a construction contract. No budget, contract award, or schedule was approved during the work session.

The city named Forefront (Leonard Davis) and ZHA (Robert Utsey) as participating designers and said the project will be phased to maintain public service while work proceeds.