PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle City Hall employees were able to relocate to the mostly renovated building on Wednesday, Oct. 20, to work.
While the renovations are not yet complete, several areas in the building can be used by employees to work effectively, and meet the needs of Presque Isle residents.
“It’s great to be back,” City Clerk Samantha McDonald said.
The city hall staff have been split up over the last several months, with employees being relocated to the second and third floors of the building temporarily, and the town clerks being moved to The Forum.
“We had to vacate The Forum because hockey season is coming up, and we had to make sure we weren’t interfering there,” Presque Isle City Assessor Lewis Cousins said.
The return to City Hall allows for better communication between employees, which in turn gives better service to the public. Currently, the first floor contains all the city services. The second floor is still completely under renovation, but will have the city manager, assessing department, public works director, grant writer, finance director and human resources. The third floor will be exclusively for the council chambers.
“Moving from the third floor to the first floor, I am very much thrilled that the city is moving in the right direction, showing a good first impression for new business opportunities and ventures for Presque Isle, so I am excited to be back here and excited to be with my co-department employees all on the same floor,” said Presque Isle Director of Economic and Community Development Galen Weibley.
“Yeah, we are a bit behind schedule. We were set to be originally finished with renovations back in July, but we have been facing many setbacks. Now it’s looking like it’s going to be closer to March to be all wrapped up, with a couple more exterior renovations needed in the spring,” Cousins said.
The first floor has yet to be decorated, but it is set to be a welcoming area for those entering the building.
“I’m very pleased with the quality of work that has been done, and I am really looking forward to having decorations in the building. We really want to make it shine,” Cousins said.
