Public Works reviews draft plan to reconfigure admin building offices and storage

At the meeting (date not specified) staff presented a draft plan to reconfigure the county administration building to create additional office space for elected officials and storage for records, including space for the register of deeds' cabinets. The presentation described removing non-load-bearing interior walls, moving office occupants to create a larger work area for planning and the register of deeds and adding a reception/waiting area for the mayor’s office.

Cliff (staff member) walked members through a sketch included in the meeting packet and said the register of deeds has space for roughly three more years of records with current shelving and that two donated double-door cabinets from the City of Knoxville could be used temporarily. Cliff said moving a non-structural wall would be cheaper than moving the vault wall and that the reconfiguration would not require changes to roof lines or exterior walls.

Members discussed priority needs, with staff recommending Rosalie’s office (planning/zoning) and Cindy’s office be addressed first because of limited space for plan review and plat storage. The presenter noted that the mayor’s office lacks a small public waiting area and recommended adding a reception area for safety and visitor management; staff also suggested installing an electronic door for controlled entry.

No motion was made to fund construction at the meeting; staff said the plan is for committee review ahead of budget season and that specific projects will be presented for funding consideration during the budget process.

Ending: The committee asked staff to include the reconfiguration options for consideration in upcoming budget discussions and to return with cost estimates and prioritized phasing when budget deliberations begin.