Brownsboro Area Business Association

Okay. City Hall. Have you seen it? What do you think?

I confess, I didn't think much about it one way or the other initially. We got it for a couple of bucks or something from the state, so I thought, why not. Then a couple of my neighbors seemed really steamed about it. Their reasoning... $50,000 (and counting) tax dollars have been pumped into it, and, according to them, it isn't really large enough to have council meetings in. According to them it's a couple of offices and a "hang out" for some city officials.

Now I'm thinking about what else could have been done with $50,000. However, I'm not sure that's fair. I had my chance to speak up, but I just didn't comprehend the amount of tax dollars that would be spent in fixing it up and maintaining it. 

But we got it from the state so cheaply. Why not make something out of it?

But a city the size of Woodlawn Park... do we need a city hall? Do we need the water and electric bills month after month? Do we need the monthly phone and internet bills? Do we need the maintenance and upkeep bills?

But is it fair to expect city officials to work out of their homes?

See, I go back and forth on this. Anybody got a comment? 

Graymoor-Devondale also has a house for their city hall/police station across from Speedway down the block.

You can't beat the price, but I do question the functionality of it for meetings.

A correction: My neighbors, who I claimed were "steamed" about city hall, disagree with my choice of terms. They say they were simply surprised that the city couldn't come up with anything more "imaginative," "creative," and "useful," than a city hall. They feel that we "really missed a good opportunity" to do something outside the box.

My guess is that the council brainstormed and something "multipurposed" just didn't seem doable. The $50,000 figure I've been told- does anybody know if that's right. And was that budgeted, or did the fix up just kind of snowball.

The thing I'm pondering is that offices were created. Several offices. When did we get so busy and important that we needed multiple offices?

May I join in?   The house was acquired by the City for Free from KyDOT for City use.  Some money has been spent to correct some badly needed maintenance items and the flooded basement. For better than two years KyDOT let the house sit and become a eye-sore, target for those who get a thrill out of destroying private property. The City has also gotten a $34,000 Metro Grant to make improvements to the exterior,  sidewalks, driveway, landscaping and a few other items yet to be done. Westport contruction has kept us off schedule for completion. Looks like we will finialize everyting on 2009. The City Council has begun using the house for it meetings since the beginning fo the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Block Watch has been using if for sometime now as well. Although, several ideas for use have been tossed on the table for approval, the Council would really like to get the  exterior improvements completed so that all using the building have safe access and parking.  Ideas could include a Bridge Club, Cubscouts, general meeting groups, computer user groups, etc. We are open for vertually any idea. Anyone interest in previewing the house for possible use, just let the Council or Mayor know. 

Regards,  Greg Claypool