The city speaks: Looking ahead to 2016
The City Hall sale moves forward, the new library will open, and comprehensive planning begins
By Chris Meyer
Mayor
Happy New Year!
Last week Steve Barg wrote about some of the things that our community has accomplished in 2015. This week I would like to look ahead to 2016.
The end of 2015 saw a whirl of activity as the common council explored the idea of selling our current City Hall and finding a smaller, more suitable building for city operations. This culminated with the city receiving three proposals from developers for the redevelopment of City Hall. The council selected Gorman Company and directed that negotiations begin for the sale and redevelopment of the existing building. The council also directed that negotiations should begin for the purchase of the current Forward Financial Bank building located — just across the street — at the corner of Chestnut and Sixth.
In early 2016 we will be discussing these negotiations and, hopefully, moving toward final agreements. Then the clock will start. There will be little notable change in 2016 for city operations. The first step in this multiparty transaction will be the construction of a new facility for Forward Financial. Once complete, some time in 2017, the city would begin the process of making needed changes to the current Forward Financial building to meet our operational needs with a goal of being in place by the end of 2017. Then, by the end of 2018, the current City Hall would be redeveloped and converted to workforce housing.
It is a long process but one that will save the city (and tax payers) money by having a smaller facility to own and operate. There remain many steps to take in this process, and nothing will be certain until mid-2016, so watch for more details in the new year.
The library, on the other hand, will not need to wait long to open its new facility. By the end of 2016, the Marshfield Public Library will move into its new space and officially become the Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library.
2016 will also provide many opportunities for you to be involved in city government. In January, the city will kick off our comprehensive planning for the next 20 years. If you want to help shape our community for the next two decades, this is your chance. There will be public listening sessions, presentations, surveys, and many other ways to help us develop the document that guides our decision making in Marshfield.
The common council is also in the process of revising our mission, vision, and values statements and will continue with strategic planning in 2016.
2016 will certainly be a year in which we look to the future and plan for making Marshfield a stronger, safer, more vibrant community. We need your help to do that.
Please feel free to contact us at any time. Phone numbers and email addresses for all council members are on the city of Marshfield website, or you can contact either City Administrator Barg or myself at 715-384-2919.
Best wishes for a successful 2016.
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