ATWATER -- Plans to build a new city hall in Atwater are back on the table.
At its meeting Wednesday, the Atwater City Council reviewed rough drawings of a building that would house the city office, library and the Atwater Police Department.
No timeline for construction has been set.
The city office and Police Department are currently housed in an old train depot, and the city is renting space in a former liquor store for the library.
In 2005, city voters defeated a request by the council for a $725,000 bond to finance a new municipal building to put all three entities under one roof. Afterward, it was judged that voters objected to the size and cost of the proposed structure.
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The council is now considering a smaller, scaled-down plan that could be funded with existing savings, eliminating the need for a bond or an election.
With past investments and revenue obtained when the city-backed apartment complex was sold, City Clerk Goldie Smith said the city has about $500,000 available to build a new municipal building.
The council agreed to send the preliminary drawings to a contractor for a formal plan and cost estimate.
Smith said if the cost estimate exceeds the city's savings, the plan could be put on the back-burner again.
As with the previous plan, the new "L"-shaped building would be located on bare ground near the current City Hall. When the new building is finished, the existing structure would be moved out. The council had made a previous commitment to give the old depot to the Atwater Threshers, which maintains a site with historic buildings on the edge of town.
In other action:
n The council approved budgeting $500 for the Atwater Historical Society for 2008. The organization had requested $1,000.
n The council was informed of potential cost increases and reduction in hours for building inspection services provided by the Mid-Minnesota Development Commission.
