Cheney to get moving expenses

The Wren Pierson building is set to be demolished, but it is insured, a city administrator told the Cheney City Council on Tuesday.

Personnel director Diane Showalter told the council the insurance company would like the building to be demolished by sections. “The good news is we are insured,” said Showalter, explaining the insurance company would allow the city to demolish the multipurpose room first.

Paul Simmons, parks and recreation director, showed the council photos of the damaged building. The air conditioning unit on the ceiling of the multipurpose room has sagged considerably and the exterior walls have bowed to the extent that engineers aren’t sure which way they could cave. This uncertainty caused the city to close the streets surrounding the building.

The council voted to contract the services of a demolition company for the multipurpose room, which is expected to cost $38, 690.

“It’s a true community center,” Simmons told the council. “I hope people recognize the magnitude of what this situation is.”

The council recognized that the parks and recreation department will need to find a temporary home until permanent space can be found. Currently, the department is making due with a cramped space on the City Hall auditorium stage.

During an executive session Tuesday night, the council discussed investigating a new location. When council reconvened, Mayor Allan Gainer said the council is looking into the space underneath Gatto’s Pizza, 1011 First St., for the department. The council voted unanimously to negotiate a lease agreement and write a letter of intent for the temporary space.

In other council news, Police Chief Jeff Sale asked the council for some direction regarding cameras the city is considering putting up at First and College streets to help deter or solve crimes that take place along the downtown corridor.

“Technology has made huge advances in the last couple of years,” Sale told the council. He said that the department has received a $69,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security to purchase and install the cameras. Sale is also contacting business owners with cameras already installed and reaching agreements with them to tap into their video feeds in case of emergency.

The council seemed split in their opinions about the cameras.

The council agreed that there should be a public hearing regarding the cameras. The city will take comments via e-mail, regular mail, phone calls and comments on the city’s Web site until the next council meeting, when the hearing will be held.

The next Cheney city council meeting will be Jan. 27.