Revised Status of Village Hall Renovation Presented

Monday's Board of Trustees meeting saw a presentation of the timeline and potential price of the Village Hall renovation. Trustee Michael Goldberg presented a powerpoint update; he noted that the previous update was presented publicly in 2011.

However, Goldberg's presentation was preceded by a disclaimer from Village President Alex Torpey. Torpey noted that the presentation was not authored or authorized by the Village. In a tense exchange of words, Torpey advised Goldberg not to again "sneak" such a presentation into a meeting.  "I appreciate your enthusiasm," he said. "I don't appreciate your sneakiness."

Briefly, said Goldberg, the Village Hall renovation has become "a seven million dollar project." This is above earlier estimates due to asbestos abatement and other delays, including the departure of a prior Village administrator.

The hope is that in 2013, Village Hall employees will move to rental space on South Orange Avenue. The work is expected to take two years.

"This is very subject to change," noted Goldberg.

Village Administrator Barry Lewis noted that he felt the 2011 presentation, which suggested a lower total for the project, was "premature."  He described the current timeline and cost estimates as "realistic."