Edwardsville to look at options for strip mall

Edwardsville is attempting to figure out a way to capitalize on one of its largest assets – the strip mall that includes City Hall.

During Monday’s City Council meeting there, the council narrowly passed a measure that would authorize up to $6,500 for a study by RLS Architects to perform a space analysis for the current tenants of the building, and provide cost estimates for any likely future investments.

Earlier this year, the city completed a roofing project that alleviated many of the drainage issues of the building. City Administrator Michael Webb told the council once that problem was fixed, the entire building became usable by either city staff, the Edwardsville Police Department or by future non-city related tenants.

“How do we consolidate the space and what do we do with what is left over?” Webb asked rhetorically. “How do we function as a city for a long period of time?”

While the council unanimously agreed there was a need, the council didn’t develop a consensus on the city’s ability to pay for the study. Webb said the study’s cost would come out of the city’s 2008 contingency budget, though the study wouldn’t be billed to the city until completion, likely sometime in early 2009.

“This is not the time to spend the money,” Councilman Patrick Isenhour said, echoing comments made earlier by Councilman John Eickhoff. The pair eventually voted against authorizing the study.

Councilman Chuck Adams reiterated his position that planning for the future of the building was an asset management issue that needed to be completed.

“We need to have a strategic plan for the future,” Adams said. “We don’t even know what we’re dealing with.

“It just seems like the wise thing to do from an asset management standpoint.”

The swing vote to authorize the study came from Councilman Craig Crider, who previously didn’t support the idea when the issue was tabled from a previous council meeting in October.

“Normally, I would vote no on something like this,” Crider said, “But our taxpayers made $350,000 (for the building) and I can see that we need to get someone over there, figure out how to fix it and how to invest in the future.”

Once completed, the study is expected to give the city guidance as to how city staff could more efficiently use the space and any costs associated with remodeling. The study could also conclude that the money needed for such remodeling could be spent on a new facility for either the police department or City Hall.

But Webb pointed out the study’s objective is only to highlight future options and doesn’t mean the city would actually immediately pursue the study’s recommendations.

In other business from Monday night’s meeting, the Council selected Topeka, Kan.-based auditing firm Wendling, Noe, Nelson and Johnson, L.L.C, as the city’s auditor for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2008.

The $8,800 fee is less than the $10,500 charge assed by the 2007 auditing firm Cochran, Head, Vick and Co., P.A. Webb said the existing firm was planning to charge the city a much higher rate to perform the 2008 audit.