Dixon City Hall eyeing expansion

Article Published: Monday, January 24, 2005

City Hall eyeing expansion
By Michael Joyce/Staff Writer

Dixon City Hall appears headed for its first expansion since the building was constructed in 1982.

The City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a resolution to adopt initial plans and a cost estimate for the project.

"The expansion is designed to accommodate additional employees to serve a larger community," City Manager Warren Salmons said.

Salmons said it is important to be prepared to accommodate a growing population in order to avoid adverse effects to programs and services. He stressed that Tuesday night's resolution is in regard only to a conceptual plan, not to construction.

The proposed expansion would add 11,506 square feet to the building, more than doubling its current size. The addition would include a community development section, a common use area and a new engineering department.

Currently, engineering is in a house near City Hall. Salmons said that crowding will become an issue in many departments as services expand.

In its 23 years, the City Hall building has undergone only minor internal changes.
The cost estimate of the expansion project is $3.5 million, a portion of which will be covered by development impact fees. These fees are collected from new home, commercial and industrial developments.

It is yet to be determined where the remaining funds for the expansion will come from.
In other action Tuesday, the City Council will discuss proposed field trips for the Dixon Downs project.

It also will cover the 2003-04 and 2004-05 fiscal year general fund budgets. In addition, the council will vote on a resolution regarding the management agreement for the Lincoln Creek Apartments.

The meeting will be in the Council Chamber at 600 East A St.
Michael Joyce can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.


Article Launched: 01/26/2005 07:40:25 AM
Dixon plans for expansion of City Hall
By Michael Joyce/Staff Writer, The Reporter


Dixon City Council members passed a resolution to get the ball rolling on the expansion of the very building in which they sat - City Hall.

Tuesday night's acceptance of initial plans and a cost estimate of $3.5 million were the first steps for the future project.

The idea to expand was introduced to accommodate additional employees for a growing population, City Manager Warren Salmons said. While he noted the resolution was only for a conceptual plan, he said it is imperative for the city to be prepared.

When the building was built in 1982, the city was not prepared for the population boom that would follow. Twenty-three years ago, City Hall served roughly 7,500 Dixon residents. Dixon's population grew to 16,100, according to the 2000 Census, with a projected population of 22,000 by the year 2010.

Councilman Michael C. Smith said already-cramped quarters will only worsen as the population grows. He added that it is important for the city to expand accurately, avoiding outgrowth.
"When you walk through City Hall, you see people working in the hallways," Smith said. "Doors are blocked by desks, and there's no room for the engineers to roll out their plans."
The project would address space issues by more than doubling the size of City Hall, from 10,170 square feet to 21,676 square feet.

While a portion of the funding for the more-than-10,000-square-foot addition is yet to be identified, most of the cost will be covered by development impact fees, Smith said. These fees are collected from new home, commercial and industrial developments.

The proposed additions in the initial plan include a community development section, a common use area and a new engineering department.

Currently, the engineering department is located in a house near City Hall, which Associate City Engineer Danny Uppal said causes some confusion. The engineering department experiences delays in mail because some deliveries are made directly to City Hall. Uppal said that communication and efficiency would improve with the expansion.

In other business Tuesday, the council set the schedule for community participation in the Dixon Downs project, proposed by Magna Entertainment Corp. The first information exchange, covering fiscal impacts, will be held in Madden Hall on Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.

The council agreed to send Vice Mayor Gilbert Vega and Mayor Mary Ann Courville to Florida on Friday for an extensive look at other Magna-owned and operated racetracks. The general public will have an opportunity to view racetracks in Albany and San Mateo in February.

Michael Joyce can be reached at <> href="mailto:dixon@thereporter.com">dixon@thereporter.com.