BET tables $70,000 city-hall fit-out transfer after members seek line-item detail

The Board of Estimate and Taxation on March 3 voted to table a request to transfer $70,000 from contingency for renovations to convert an employee lounge and storage space at Norwalk City Hall into offices and a small conference room.

City finance staffer Tom Livingston said the transfer would address a lack of space in City Hall and would "take an underutilized employee lounge ... and convert that into a couple of offices" and convert a storage room into a small conference room. Livingston said the transfer would cover design, electrical work and some furnishings.

Board members asked for more detail before approving the transfer. "I would just like to know what the square footage is," said a board member, who added that without square-foot numbers it is difficult to judge whether $70,000 is appropriate. Another member said the board should see a contractor estimate and a line-item breakdown of costs.

The board voted to table the item and asked staff to bring a more detailed estimate, including square footage and contractor pricing, to the next meeting. The chair said the facilities manager provided the initial $70,000 figure but agreed to return with more detail.

Staff said the conversion is intended to accommodate four staff members and is not for new hires; Tom Livingston said the space would be used to better organize existing staff. Members repeatedly requested clearer line-item detail on the proposed work and the square footage involved before approving use of contingency funds.

The item was tabled for one month and will return to the Board of Estimate and Taxation with additional documentation and cost detail.