LAKEPORT >> The Lakeport City Hall will be undergoing some remodeling in the near future. The plan includes upgrades to the building’s current layout.
The city is currently accepting request for bid forms for the project. Once bids have been received, the city council will be presented with options to choose the best fit for the remodel.
Lakeport Community Development Director Kevin Ingram said it has been a goal for the city staff is to improve their customer service for the community.
“Staff has been exploring some minor to moderate changes to the layout of City Hall that will assist in facilitating better customer service while at the same time achieving the stated goal of creating a one-stop customer service center,” Ingram said.
The budget that the city has set aside for renovations in this fiscal year amounts to $70,000.
Some priorities that the city staff has put on a list are the relocation of the Community Development Department public window, creating large enough counter space to view building plans. Other plans are to create a more usable space for the Finance Department, create a public window that is compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and relocate the doors to the council chambers.
In addition to changes, the city staff is looking to upgrade the existing security system, construct a furred wall along the north side of the building and repair the exterior coating of the building to prevent water seepage.
“The current layout of City Hall creates challenges for clustering of customer related services in one location. The current Community Development Department window is located down a narrow hall and customers are often apprehensive of walking down this hall believing that they are entering an area not open to the public,” Ingram said.
Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira said the Finance Department staff is currently in a small space with a window capable of serving only one customer at a time.
“When the counter is really busy they start lining up in here. With an open counter will make sure we can serve more people, Silveira said. “It would flow much better and people wouldn’t wait so long for the department.”
Ingram said the city has talked to the employees as well who work in City Hall to ensure that the changes that are looking to be made they are comfortable with and that the changes will still allow them to carry out their work.
