Flood Recovery, Government, Local News
Linn supervisors hire firm to study keeping county offices at Westdale
Posted on Sep 02, 2009 by admin.
Linn County West
The Linn County supervisors on Wednesday awarded a contract to Howard R. Green Co. to conduct a feasibility study on keeping county offices at the old Steve & Barry’s store at Westdale Mall.
The county will pay the Cedar Rapids architecture firm $39,750 to study the building and come up with a recommendation by Sept. 22. At least three design firms declined to bid on the project because they thought it was too rushed.
The supervisors voted 3-2 to give the project to Green, after the I-JOBS board advised the county to look into the possibility and better engage the public. The supervisors had sought in order to get an $8.8 million grant for the county to renovate and expand the Administrative Office Building.
Supervisors Ben Rogers and Brent Oleson voted against awarding the contract to Green, arguing that the process was rushed and the price tag is too steep.
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It should of been done months ago but now the supervisors are rushing it through to save their a sses before the election in November.
i totally agree. what perfect timing indeed. now they can (finally) say, "We are listening to you, the voters. We want to make sure it is feasible for us to do so". They aren't kidding anyone. This should have been a NO-BRAINER from DAY ONE. We all know the only place they ever wanted to go was back downtown just to wait for the next flood. i only have 2 questions: (1) WHY do this NOW? I mean it has only been over a YEAR now. (2) Was it really necessary to waste more taxpayer money hiring an outside firm to come up with the only logical and obvious solution??
Did the Gazette make this new website suck on purpose, or did they actually think this is an improvement? Less stories, more control. Gazette is heading to dustbin of history. Only a sad shell of it's former self.
Everyone I know thinks it's awful. The believe idea was to more interactive and "cutting edge" but it's really just a disjointed mess.
Everyone I know thinks it's awful. I believe the idea was to more interactive and "cutting edge" but it's really just a disjointed mess.
This is actually good in ways too. You can go back and check some peoples past posts to see that they speak out of both sides of their mouths now. You just got to get used to the monkees in the cage having to approve some stuff.
Could not agree more.
This is actually good in ways too. You can go back and check some peoples past posts to see that they speak out of both sides of their mouths now.
You just got to get used to the monkees in the cage having to approve some stuff.
Seriously!! How rude do you have to be. News and news!! Though it may not pertain to you or seem that exciting…it is news to someone. Speaking from experience in the journalism field, though it may be uninteresting to write someone will care that you took the time. Also, there are slow news times. Maybe you should submit ideas if you think there needs to be more on this Web site!!
Folks, they aren't staying at Westdale, their minds are already made up. This is just more waste of taxpayer money to buy a study that will tell them what they want to hear.
This is the second time they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Maybe we shouldn't elect sugar addicts to the BOS.
I agree with tom52403. The point of the study is to prove to you that it is not feasible to stay at the mall. They will work this until they get brand new digs, at YOUR expense. Remember that every tax dollar came from YOU — local, state, and federal.
november is not far away, just remember who is in the offices now that dont listen to the people..
There is no county election this November, only city elections.
I hope they post the name of every candidate here, along with every idiocy they committed, before the County elections.
I have yet to learn where the sales tax increase for the flood victims went.
Yes, I agree on the LOST tax issue. CR will receive aprox $18 million a year for five years. However KGAN/FOX did list the LOST tax last night as a possible use to pay for abatement, will see though.
I must have slipped a cog, didn't realize that Lost referred to that particular increase. Everybody needs to watch like Hawks to see it goes for it's intended purpose – All of it.
There is a LOST oversight committe, which was picked by the council. We need somebody in the press to do an in-depth story on the LOST money and the projected uses for it we need FACTS and figures not could be, maybe, it's been 16 months SOMEONE has to know the FACTS and figures. Lets get them out to the people.
I can't imagine anyone in private business do this and not get investigated on suspicion of embezzling funds.
This is really sad. They need to hire a firm to "study" keeping the offices at West dale? Throughout this entire flood, they have been unable to do anything, even make a simple decision. They are extremely ineffective, to say the least.
Arent those offices the only things left in Westdale anymore? That place is currently a waste of space. No reason to go there to shop, theres nothing there.
I enjoy listening to the great illiterate and uneducated mob mentality at work.