Edgerton City Hall Referendum Information

The existing City Hall is structurally unsound.

The existing city hall is nearing the end of its useful life. It needs either significant structural improvements, or it needs to be demolished. These were the conclusions of a structural engineer and others who studied the building in 2008. The engineer reported “there is a structural problem that presents a life safety issue. The north and south walls are . . . out of plane by approximately 8 inches . . . Should the wall fail, the roof would collapse…”

In January 2009, emergency modifications were made to brace these leaning walls, with the hope of enabling the structure to “survive 2 to 5 additional years.”

Due to the poor condition of the city hall, and based on the recommendations of outside experts, the Edgerton Common Council determined that a significant renovation of the building would not be a good investment.

With the current city hall structurally stabilized for the next few years, why not postpone a decision?

It will take almost two years to design and construct a new building. The longer the current city hall stays in service, the greater the chance that more money will have to be spent to keep it viable. Also, the city has a much better chance of winning grant dollars when a project has the support of citizens through a referendum.

Construction costs are low.

Current economic conditions have significantly reduced the materials and labor costs for construction projects.

Interest rates are low.

A one percentage point rise in interest rates adds approximately $160,000 of finance charges to the cost of this project.

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