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Newton dedicates newly-renovated second floor of City Hall

Alan Rogers

Newton Mayor Robert A. Mullinax speaks to a crowd during a dedication for the newly renovated second floor of City Hall on Sunday.

By Dee Henry | Hickory Daily Record

Published: September 22, 2008

NEWTON - The city of Newton officially dedicated the newly-renovated second floor of City Hall on Sunday.

The ceremony included remarks by Newton Mayor Robert A. Mullinax and local attorney Thomas W. Warlick, who served as chairman of the 1975-76 Municipal Building Study Committee. The event concluded with a ribbon cutting by the mayor and city council, followed by a public tour of the new second floor.

Mullinax said the second floor completion is the realization of a dream.

"We are pleased to complete a project that was initially started in 1975 with the construction of our City Administration Building," said Mullinax. "The renovations and completion of City Hall will greatly enhance our city's ability to continue to provide quality service to our citizens for years to come."

City Manager Todd Clark praised the city council for their vision and leadership.

"We are excited to complete the second floor, as it will serve our employees and citizens in a more efficient manner for many generations to come. When City Hall was originally constructed, the second floor was unfinished as leaders at that time knew that future expansion would be necessary. I appreciate their vision, and the city council's leadership and guidance to allow the completion of City Hall to occur."

The second floor project began in October 2007, with the original plans of renovating the north side of the floor for expansion of the police department. That department had outgrown its space on the ground floor of city hall. The detective unit worked out of leased office space in the downtown area; therefore, with the new second floor, all police officers will now be located at City Hall.

At its March 4 meeting, the city council approved the completion of the remainder of the second floor to accommodate the Administration and Human Resources departments. The project was complete in September, and staff members moved into their new offices Sept. 10.

In total, the second floor adds approximately 11,700 square feet of much-needed office space to City Hall, which will enhance employee efficiency and customer service. Approximately 6,500 square feet is dedicated for the police department, 4,200 square feet for administration and human resources, with approximately 1,000 square feet of common area. The police department portion of the project was budgeted at $651,000, including furnishings, while the administration and human resources portion was budgeted at $269,550. The project remained within budget totaling approximately $920,000. Carolina Shelter Construction of Morganton served as the general contractor for the second floor project.

Offices on the new second floor include the city manager, city clerk, public information officer, commercial development coordinator, human resources director, human resources specialist, city nurse, police chief, patrol division captain, investigative division lieutenant, administrative sergeant, school resource officer, two shift commander offices, administrative support specialist, as well as a new communications center and an emergency operations center. Other space includes two conference rooms, a police evidence room, an evidence processing room, an interview room, a break/lunch room for all City Hall employees, a human resources training room and other storage rooms.

The new second floor was planned to bring the city into the 21st century in terms of technology. The police communications center contains new dispatch consoles and equipment. The main conference room, located in the Administration Department, contains state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, with a 5' x 8' screen with a DLP projector, which allows for PowerPoint presentations, as well as DVD, VCR, and TV playback. Security has also been greatly enhanced with card swipe access to certain areas of the buildings with security cameras located throughout.

Efforts were also made to help make City Hall more "green," as all overhead lighting uses energy efficient bulbs. Thermostats are also programmable, to allow less usage of air conditioning or heat while offices are unoccupied. During the project, the roof on City Hall had to be replaced, and staff decided on a white rubber roof to help reflect sunlight to reduce air conditioning costs. Staff also added some planters on porch roofs.

The new second floor is accessible to the public via a stairwell located just inside the lobby on the south side of City Hall, or the elevator located on the west side of the building. The Police Department will still be accessed from the ground floor on the north side of the building.

Newton City Hall was completed in 1976, containing approximately 33,000 square feet. The lower level and ground level floors were completed at that time, leaving the 2nd floor unfinished, allowing for future expansion. Herman-Sipe and Company of Conover served as the general contractor for the original City Hall construction, at a cost of $700,000.