Norris will hold facilities workshop Thursday
The needs of the Norris Community Building will be among the topics of a special City Council workshop meeting Thursday at 5 p.m., in this building, to discuss city facilities. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
The public is invited to attend to give input to the council members and city staff.
Discussion will include upgrades or additions to the Community Building, including its current dire need of a new roof over the gymnasium area, which now is subject to annoying leaks whenever it’s raining outside.
City staff must set buckets in strategic spots on the gym floor to catch the drips from the roof, and the problem makes it hard for people to use the gym during rainy weather – especially those playing pickleball.
For now, the Community Building gym has the only pickleball courts in Norris. Pickeball players also want the city to put a new resin floor in the gym to make it safer and more suitable to play the increasingly popular racket game.
Thursday’s workshop comes after an assessment by city staff last year of city facilities, including the Community Building, where the city has its offices and the council meeting room; the Public Safety Building, which houses the police and fire departments; the McNeely Building, which houses the Norris Public Library and the Norris Museum; the Lions Pavilion in front of Norris Middle School; and the gazebo, across from the Norris Town Center.
After that assessment, the city made immediate upgrades to replace the leaking roof of the Public Safety Building, and then let a contract to install new siding on the McNeely Building.
Still to be determined are what else might need to be done with the Community Building, including the possibility of building an addition or separate building next to it to house the fire and police departments, and coming up with more office and storage space for the city administration.
The City Council will be trying to prioritize what changes need to be made, and decide how to pay for them over the next few years.
