A third proposed city hall site was put before the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday, as they attempted to hold a one-night workshop and vote regarding $8 million in financing for the project.
The vote was delayed until Sept. 18, after council member Barbara Horton objected to the deviation from the normal two-week process to workshop and vote on items.
The Boeving family would like to donate property on Business 60 East for construction of a new building for city offices, municipal court and the police department, Jered Boeving told the council prior to the financing vote. The property was purchased in the late 1930s by Boeving's great-grandfather for construction of a cotton gin.
"We believe that it would appease a lot of the people that want to keep it (city hall) in the heart of the city, while at the same time, maybe allowing something for new construction," Boeving told the council.
The Boevings first offered the property to city officials prior to a 4-3 August vote naming Northwest Medical Center as the preferred city hall site, but the location was not discussed at that meeting. The council discussed Northwest and the current Second Street home of city court and city council chambers as possible locations.
The donation offer was brought forward to a few of the council members prior to the vote, city manager Mark Massingham said.
Council members appeared to have their minds set on the two locations, and Massingham said he didn't feel they were interested in looking at another option.
He thanked Boeving for bringing the matter forward again.
"I just wanted to make it known that there is another option on the table, should you choose to pursue it," Boeving said.
The offer is very generous, said Mayor pro tem Susan McVey, who headed the meeting in the absence of Mayor Ed DeGaris.
"We are deep into the negotiations on this, but we will keep you in mind if anything was to change," McVey said.
The financing vote would have been the first step toward securing funding for the purchase, if it had proceeded.
Additional votes by the city council would have been needed to finalize the financing, Massingham said.
The city would seek to sell a maximum of $8 million in certificates of participation under the ordinance, which was listed on the council agenda as an intent of the city to reimburse itself for certain capital expenditures.
"This does not tie us to any set amount for the (certificates)," Massingham said. "Any financing done will have to come back to council, for council approval."
The city does not have a contract for sale of the certificates yet, he said.
It also does not have a contract yet for purchase of the Northwest Medical building. Officials have said the purchase contract will be brought back for a public vote of the city council before the purchase is finalized.
"I don't like workshopping and voting on something on the same night like this," Horton said. "Personally, I don't think it's good for us to do that. That's my opinion."
Ward 4 council member Philip Crocker and Ward 5 representative Robert Smith agreed, with Crocker asking if there was need to hold the vote on the same night.
There was not, Massingham said. It is a three month process to finalize the financing, he said, and it would just slow the process down by a couple of weeks.
"I don't have a problem with it being two weeks later," Crocker said, later adding, "I just don't want to set a precedent of doing that very often."
Crocker said he did understand the need to workshop and vote some items on the same night, if the circumstances called for that.
The council had one other workshop and vote item on their agenda, to transfer property tax incentives from SCS Investments to an existing Butler County company that is purchasing property in the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park.
The vote was needed for the purchaser to secure several pending contracts, Massingham said.
The financing vote was unanimously postponed until Sept. 18.
The family will keep the donation offer open until a contract is signed, said Boeving, whose father, Albert, also attended the meeting. The property holds the same flood zone designation as the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce, and has access to city water, electric and other infrastructure, Boeving said.
The third location would offer the city a chance to have a purpose-built city hall and police department, Albert Boeving said, after the meeting.
"We're technically in negotiations to buy another old clinic (Northwest Medical)," he said.
More than a dozen people argued against the Northwest location during meetings held in August, when the council voted for the new location. It was supported by McVey, council members at large Ron Black and Steve Davis, and Crocker. It was opposed by Horton, Smith and DeGaris.
Council members who support the north side location say it will be less expensive than new construction and offers more square footage.
No study has been done of the possible alternatives, but estimates were presented by council members. They say the purchase could cost $3.4 million, with an additional $5.6 million spent to remodel the almost 80,000 square-foot, 26-year-old building. Some renovations in unused space would be delayed under this plan.
New construction could cost between $7.5 and $8.8 million, council members have said.