Residents urge preservation of old City Hall after storm damage, raise FOIA concerns

Public commenters asked the Lebanon City Council on Tuesday to take immediate steps to protect and repair the old City Hall and to improve communication with residents.

Sharon Belk, who identified herself as representing the historical society, said high winds had removed much of the building's roof and attic contents and that she had coordinated with the State Historic Preservation officer and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity about grant options. "We should have a tarp on it tomorrow with any luck," Belk said, and asked whether the community might be eligible for a business-district grant to cover near-term costs.

Barbara Cioli, who said she lives next to the old City Hall, said she had filed multiple FOIAs and emailed aldermen without getting clear responses and urged more transparent public information about why the building was vacated and what tests (for air quality or structural safety) had been done. Cioli said she had offered to donate $1,000 for a hospital-grade air purifier for employees but that offer was not accepted and she had not been contacted.

Council members responded that engineering and grant possibilities were being explored. The treasurer and staff said there is a constrained capital picture and that non-home-rule infrastructure funds and existing grants might be reallocated in some cases, but council members did not make a final decision to repair or demolish the building during the meeting.

Speakers asked for faster, clearer answers and more accessible email contacts for aldermen; one resident noted that the city website lists placeholders instead of direct email addresses, which makes it hard for citizens to confirm that messages were received. Council members agreed to continue collecting information and to report back at upcoming meetings.