As the Pierson Town Council prepares to move to a new Town Hall, the city has to deal with some surplus goods: toy furniture.
The Town Council has begun to outgrow its current offices (which it shares with a bank) at 106 N. Center St. The town has operated there for more than 25 years, and is preparing to move to a new, bigger location: the old Pierson Elementary School, which has been empty for two years, at 116 W. First Ave.
While helping clean and organize the new Town Hall’s auditorium, Town Council Chairman Samuel Bennett made a discovery in a basement area.
“When I was under there, I discovered a little wooden play stove, play sink and play refrigerator,” he told his colleagues at the Pierson Town Council meeting on Oct. 13. “We had a request from someone that had an interest in them, and I said, well, it’s town property.”
The Town Council voted unanimously to designate the kiddie appliances as town surplus, which allows the toys to be auctioned.
“Let’s say you’re interested, you would submit a sealed envelope with the amount that you would like to bid on the surplus material,” Bennett said.
Bids for the toy furniture can be submitted to the town clerk, Carmen Spelorzi, whose office is in the current town hall.
The bidding process will begin within the next week, and all of the information will be on the Town of Pierson’s website, www.townofpierson.org. The highest bidder will win the wooden kitchen set.
“We had an inquiry about it, and I thought, it’s town property now, so we have to follow the correct protocol, so that’s what we’re doing,” Bennett said with a laugh.
Growing pains
When he isn’t unearthing toy appliances, Bennett is planning for a move that will give the town much more space for meetings and other events.
“I believe we have outgrown it,” he said of the current space. “When we move to the new town center, we just want everything to be in order.”
There’s still plenty of work to be done.
The old elementary school has been empty for two years, since Pierson Elementary moved to 657 N. Center St. The Town of Pierson purchased the old school in September 2019.
NEW HOME — Town Council Chairman Samuel Bennett said he is excited to move the Pierson Town Council into the new Town Hall at 116 W. First Ave., the former Pierson Elementary School. With more room for activities and Town Council meetings, Bennett said, there may be more opportunities for the Town Council to work directly with the public.
According to Bennett, the heating and air conditioning aren’t ready, some wood needs to be replaced on one of the buildings, and some painting still needs to be done. Repairs have been slowed by COVID-19, Bennett said, but when the project is finished and the Town Council can move to its new digs, he is hopeful about what can be done with the much-bigger space.
“I’ve spoken with the Volusia County Library System about moving the library over there,” Bennett said. “We will also have the presence of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department, they’ll be able to have an office. And then we’ll be able to utilize the cafeteria; we’ll be able to use that as another community center.”
Bennett said he hopes to fully transition to the new building in early 2021.
“If we get over there before then, that would be great, too,” he added. “But it’s a work in progress.”
