March 29, 2024

City Hall getting a new look

Newton City Hall is getting a facelift by way of new paint and carpet. All of the walls have been stripped of the vinyl that had covered them and are awaiting new texture and paint.

The work, which started last week, will continue for several weeks. Monday's city council meeting will be held at the Newton Public Library.

“It’s one of those things that you kind of get started and you run into stuff. We ran into mold both in the cabinet and on the east wall where water had come in under the windows and seeped down into the wall,” said City Administrator Robert Knabel.

Mold was also found in the walls under several windows on the east wall. The drywall had to be removed, the mold was cleaned out and the wall replaced in the offices effected. Spots along the ceiling in the atrium and council chambers also had water damage that can be repaired by sanding and paint.

The council chambers will also have a new look with the council member’s desks getting a new facing on the front. The cloth backdrop that is behind the desk will also be cleaned. At the back of the room, eight cabinets spanned the back wall. Two of the cabinets were removed to open up the area and drywall was put up in its place.

The city is also hoping to get new tables and chairs for the gallery seating area in the chambers, Knabel said. Original with the building, the chairs are showing age, while three of the seven original tables’ legs have broken, leaving only four in usable condition.

To Knabel’s knowledge, this is the first time any work as been done in the building since it was opened. The work is being done by Pella-based AJH Construction. Knabel said a bid was put out for the work in August and AJH was the only contractor who submitted an offer. Work to retexture the walls is to be complete by the end of the week with paint being applied next week.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com