MONA CITY HALL • The Mona City Council will hold a public hearing to decide the fate of the present city hall. Mayor Newton and the council want to hear from Mona residents about replacing the building.
By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Does the city hall in Mona need to be torn down and rebuilt?
The city council is interested in finding out what the people of Mona think about such a proposal.
The city council recently organized a Local Building Authority (LBA), in order to begin the process of considering the question and to review the CIB funding that will be available if the city meets certain criteria.
"This city hall really needs to be replaced," said MonaMayor Greg Newton. "It is too small for the number of residents who come to a public hearing."
As another step in considering the possibility of building a new city hall, the Mona City Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8, in the Mona City Council Chambers, located at 50 West Center Street.
"This building (the present city hall) is not earthquake proof," said Newton.
It was built by placing cement block upon cement block with no structural steel to reinforce the construction. Newton said he had observed the construction of the small building and knew that there was no structural steel added.
"The meeting room is extremely small," said Newton.
The LBA of Mona City will conduct the public hearing regarding construction of a new Mona City Center Building.
"The public is invited to receive information and give comment on the proposed project," said Lyla Spencer, city recorder. "We are advertising for the public hearing."
The purpose of an LBA is to acquire, improve, or extend one or more projects and to finance their costs on behalf of the public body that created it (in this case, Mona City Council), in order to accomplish the public purposes of the city.
The Local Building Authority of Mona finances building projects, such as constructing a new city hall and seeking funding from the Permanent Community Impact Fund Board (CIB) for this project. It does not, however, finance operations and maintenance.
All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard.
The notice of the meeting will be posted at the Mona City Office Building, Mona City Post Office and Gaydene's Sweet Art, and published on the Utah State Website and in the Nephi Times News.
"We are proposing that this building be razed," said Newton.
He said that the council was proposing a new building be built on the city park site.
The city council has the authority to organize a nonprofit corporation as the local building authority, following the procedures set out by state law, solely for the purpose of acquiring, improving, or extending one or more projects and financing their costs on behalf of the public.
The members of the Mona's Local Building Authority are the mayor and city council members.
A building authority may contract for or employ all staff and other personnel necessary for the purpose of performing its functions and activities, including contracting with the city council to utilize the personnel, property, or facilities for the purpose of the project, and may include the costs of the contracted services and employed staff and personnel in the rentals and charges payable to it under leases or agreements between it and the public body.
Except for those services that are paid for from bond proceeds, the building authority may include the cost of legal, accounting, and auditing services in the rentals and charges payable to it under leases or agreements between it and the public body.
"We would like many residents to show up at the public hearing to let us know what they think about the proposal to build a new city hall," said Newton.
