By Kellen Olshefski
Correspondent
The City of Elkhorn Common Council began discussion on several key items that City Administrator Sam Tapson feels need to be a “primary focus” in the first six months of 2019, including a new City Hall location and Fire and EMS staffing, in a Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night.
Tapson said, in his opinion, those two items sit at the top of his list as priorities early in this new year.
With a proposed date of 2020 for a new City Hall, Tapson said there are enough steps to take that the Council shouldn’t wait until late in 2019 or could face challenges in meeting its mark for completing the project next year.
“I think there are enough things that need to be looked into before you can even fathom the construction of a facility,” Tapson said.
Among items that need to be considered, he noted site selection as well as the possibility of feasibility studies to determine which site or sites would best meet the City’s needs.
“I personally feel as though you really would benefit the City by engaging a consultant as you did with (the Department of Public Works facility) and let them walk through the process, taking a look at how much space do you really need,” Tapson said, along with investigating any potential environmental concerns.
Read more of the discussion in the Jan. 17 Independent.
