ERVING — Town Hall could be getting a slightly new look as discussions are underway to reorganize the 12 East Main St. building in an attempt to address space needs for existing staff and new town employees.
Discussion began with input from town staff over the past few months about their preferences for what could be done to maximize available space, Town Administrator Bryan Smith told the Selectboard on Monday.
Smith explained that while new staff in different departments have been hired, space issues continue to plague existing staff, and more room has been needed for several years. He said he feels it’s an “honest statement” to say that there are more efficient ways to use the available space, especially on the first floor.
None of the plans discussed entail permanent renovations, and a single preferred reorganization plan hasn’t been chosen. Smith said he wanted the Selectboard to review the initial feedback from staff to get moving on some “immediate” changes, before a larger renovation project can be put together down the line with approval from the Capital Planning Committee and voters.
One of the priorities, Smith explained, includes finding ways to maximize space in the downstairs level of the building, where elections and public meetings are held. The hope is to be able to use that space for municipal offices and public-facing uses.
Part of the discussion is to think about where future elections can be held, Smith noted.
“You’re not getting any argument out of me,” Selectboard member Jacquelyn Boyden said about the space for elections. “It needs to be held in a different building.”
Other Selectboard members agreed, with Chair Jacob Smith noting the space is not easily accessible to voters. While voting for the upcoming state primary will be held Sept. 1 in the downstairs room, if future elections are to be relocated, citizens would need 20 days’ notice under state statue.
Thomas Duffy, foreman with the Erving Highway Department, told the Selectboard that a quick way to free up space downstairs would be to move the Recreation Department’s equipment elsewhere.
Another consideration Bryan Smith raised was still allowing Town Hall to be a regular meeting space. Smith said capacity for the meeting space should be at least 20 to fit board members, a long table and public seating, which could be done by splitting office space on the second floor or splitting the ground floor. Boyden noted that the space also needs a door that can be closed for executive session purposes.
Another idea is to group departments with similar responsibilities together, allowing for staff and the public to more easily interact with them, in what could be “functional suites.”
Duffy explained that in looking at temporary partitions to divide the downstairs space, one idea would be to have 8-foot-by-12-foot partitions on the left side of the room to create two spaces. The right side of the room is narrow, but could have two small spaces created with an L-shaped partition. It’s estimated that the cost for the first-floor partitions would be $7,000, according to Duffy.
In terms of moving around existing offices, an initial idea discussed with staff is to move the Treasurer’s Office, Assessor’s Office, Town Clerk’s Office and Town Administrator’s Office on the second floor, which would free up the treasurer’s room to be the new meeting space with a door. Between the second floor and downstairs, Duffy said the proposed partitions would allow space for everyone, though Boyden said she wants to make sure nobody is “feeling crunched” in their workspace.
With these initial concepts presented, the Selectboard aims to make a decision at its next meeting between two plans that take into account the board’s feedback. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 31.
