It’s a common conundrum. When you’ve been in a building for decades – whether it’s a home or office – you experience growing pains. More space is needed. Repairs are required. Then the question arises…
Do you relocate or remodel?
The Town of Thompson recently faced this question and came to an innovative answer: The Town Hall would be repaired, upgraded, and expanded – primarily through the work of Town staff.
Yes, instead of outsourcing the construction work, the Town “in” sourced from its own team. For the past few years, employees from Parks & Recreation along with occasional support from Building, Planning & Zoning; Water and Sewer; Highway; and other departments have pitched in on construction work during the winter months and whenever they have other downtime.
The Town believes that this in-sourcing solution makes a lot of sense! After all, taxpayers are already covering the cost of Town personnel. Why not maximize that taxpayer investment?
Of course, outside construction companies are brought in when needed. But there are many talented and hard-working Town staff members happy to do their part to bring the Town Hall into the future.
Ultimately, these renovations have resulted in an improved experience for everyone who visits and works at the Town Hall, all at tremendous savings to Town taxpayers.
Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect when you step into the Town Hall…
If These Walls Could Talk
Before diving into what you’ll see, there are plenty of improvements that you won’t see!
Many behind-the-scenes updates have been performed at the Town Hall. For example, when a room requires renovating, the crew always goes beyond the surface. Rooms are “gutted” so they can be transformed into more energy-efficient, comfortable spaces.
For example, walls are studded out and fully insulated. All ceilings (where most heat loss occurs) are fully insulated with high-efficiency rock wool insulation, which keeps utility bills lower – and ensures rooms are warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Duct and electrical work is inspected to ensure it’s safe and functional, and updates are made if needed. The latest energy-saving fixtures and equipment will also be installed when there will be proven cost savings on energy consumption.
Most importantly, all building materials – from carpet to sheet rock – are acquired from local companies in and around Thompson.
“So Much Brighter, More Open, Really Professional”
After walking into the just-updated main entrance at the Town Hall, these are some phrases made by recent visitors to the Thompson Town Hall:
“So Much Brighter…More Open…Really Professional”
The space really is much brighter which is very important since many visitors fill out paperwork in this area. Cost-saving LED lighting has been installed which also helps both employees and taxpayers alike do paperwork and fill out forms with ease.
To the right you have the Building, Planning & Zoning Department and to the left is the Town Clerk’s Office. Along with the improved task lighting, redesigned countertops and service windows have been configured to improve the visitor’s experience.
Visitors to both the Town Clerk and Building departments will find it easy to interact with Town staff and the expansive counter at the Building, Planning, and Zoning Department makes it easy to spread out building plans, maps, or other large documents.
Reinventing Spaces and Redirecting Traffic
In redesigning the Building, Planning & Zoning Department, space was needed from the Tax Collector’s office. So that the Tax Collector still had enough room, their office was moved to a separate area near the side entrance used for Town Court..
Moving the Tax Collector has also helped with frequent “traffic jams.” Prior to the move, there were three departments all located at the main entrance and there wasn’t much room for people to wait. Things often got a little cramped!
Now, there is a better flow of folks going in and out of the building as they use the side entrance when visiting the Tax Collector and Court.
Adapting Rooms for Better Communication: In-Person and Remote
Over the past decade, virtual meetings have been steadily increasing in popularity. When the pandemic hit, remote access to meetings became essential. The Town was ready!
The conference rooms in both the administration and Planning Board offices have been updated with the latest technology. This includes large screens, microphones, and cameras so that staff can easily participate in or lead virtual meetings.
When it comes to in-person meetings and proceedings, conference rooms as well as the Town court room are outfitted with audio-visual tools that ensure everyone in the room can hear – and be heard.
What’s Next? Eyeing Storage Space
Another “growing pain” that has come to the forefront is the need for more document storage space. Currently, the Town rents extra storage space. Another way the Town is addressing this issue is through scanning paperwork and converting it to digital files.
However, not all documents can be digitally scored due to State and Federal requirements for physical copies to be kept.
The Town is in the process of exploring innovative solutions to the demand for storage. Stay tuned! This may very well be the next “in-sourced” construction project at the Thompson Town Hall!