City Council
MEETING DATE: 8/23/2017
TITLE:
Title
Renovation of City Hall Lobby
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FROM:
Tami E. Scott, Administrative Services Director
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the renovation of the City Hall Lobby area to enhance security by enclosing the counter area with a new wall and impact resistant glass.
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BACKGROUND:
The City Hall side of the civic center building has long been an open space to receive and service the public for a variety of issues. It is not enclosed and it would take minimal effort to access the areas beyond the current counter configuration.
DISCUSSION:
The public access areas are currently open access, with only a counter to offer barrier protection. Access to our employees is a matter of simply jumping the counter. No protection exists for thrown objects, the discharge of firearms, or any other violent acts. Employees working in this area are assigned critical functions and are the first line of contact with any citizen.
The challenge is to provide adequate protection to our most vulnerable employees and still provide the personal contact and customer service our residents expect. Rather than resort to phone or intercom contact only, city staff has evaluated options to better secure the lobby area and is interested in building a transparent, impact-resistant partition with two receiving areas. One would be a reception counter and the second area would allow for business license and finance related services. Access for permits and plan check services would be handled in a much more controlled manner via door access availability. Customers would be buzzed in through the door singularly to be serviced by community development staff. Once completed the next customer would be allowed access through the door. Rather than customers being stacked at the current counter, customers would remain in the lobby area until called. This manner also provides for a much more confidential experience for the customer when speaking about issues with staff. Material and installation cost, utilizing, three different vendors, for this renovation is $32,500.
We believe the enhancement to our public area detailed here will provide the right balance between increasing safety and security of our employees and maintaining a connection to our community members.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Cost of the material and installation for the renovation, to include level one impact resistant windows, will be $32,500.
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposed configuration of renovation.