By Jolene Farley
A lengthy discussion at the Aug. 14 City Council meeting questioned the fate of the Hills Community Hall or American Legion Hall. The building, built in the late 1940s, is in need of extensive repairs.
The building is owned jointly by the city and Clinton Township. However, the city of Hills is in the process of acquiring full ownership, according to City Clerk Connie Wiertzema.
While working on the city budget for next year, council member Arlen Leenderts pointed out that the city would have a substantial amount of money invested in the old building if all needed improvements were made.
He said concerned citizens had approached him and asked why so much money was being spent on such an old building.
Leenderts suggested investigating the possibility of building new. "I think we should dig into it more, send out a survey," said Leenderts.
Mayor George Langford said abandoning the old building would not be supported. "We will hear an outcry from the community like you wouldn't believe," Langford said.
Council member Dana Dahlquist agreed. "The Legion has meant a lot to many people, mostly older."
The city has made about $6,910 in repairs to the building so far, according to Wiertzema.
The list includes replacing several large windows and doors with smaller windows and doors, replacing the cement on the south side of the building, and removing a window air conditioner and closing the hole in the wall from the unit.
Earlier this year, worried council members hired a structural engineer to evaluate the property after cracks appeared in the east wall of the structure.
Although the engineer reported the cracks are not an immediate safety hazard, he advised the council to monitor the wall for the next six months. Plans to finish the wall were put on hold.
Other needed repairs and their estimated costs are: updating wiring, for which the council budgeted $10,000 in next year's budget; a new sink at $500; tuck-pointing at $6,000 to $25,000; new gutters at $840; stripping the wood floors at $3,500 to $4,000.
More windows should be replaced, and the roof is being inspected because it began leaking in July, according to Wiertzema.
Langford asked Leenderts to investigate prices on new buildings. Leenderts and Wiertzema could then create a survey to be sent to Hills residents asking their opinion on the issue.
"One thing leads to another," said City Clerk Connie Wiertzema at last week's meeting, referring to needed repairs.