BY ROBIN MIMNA
The future of Lake Helen’s historic City Hall took center stage at a City Commission workshop Feb. 20, where commissioners, residents, and preservation experts gathered to discuss whether to temporarily or permanently relocate City Hall operations to the Creative Arts Café (CAC) building.
The aging City Hall, beloved for its history and charm, now faces urgent repair needs due to age (the structure was built circa 1916) and neglect and mold caused by a 2021 roof leak. Although the leak has been fixed, the building’s structural integrity and environmental safety remain in question. In September 2024, the city received bids for the repairs, with mold mitigation estimated to cost between $900,000 and $1.2 million.
Community wants a temporary move, but permanent restoration
In the meantime, the City Commission has been meeting in various places, primarily Hopkins Hall and now, the CAC, a building with its own complex history tied to the community and the county’s ECHO grant program.
Since a local community group dissolved in January, and the city resolved to pay back outstanding ECHO funds, the CAC has opened up as a venue for the City Commission without a permanent home.
“The feeling that I’ve gotten from the residents is that they want to see this be a temporary move, with City Hall ultimately restored,” Zone 1 City Commissioner Heather Rutledge said.
She suggested adding temporary offices to the CAC while using its larger space as a permanent home for the city museum. Rutledge also recommended registering City Hall as a historic landmark to unlock more grant opportunities for preservation.
Zone 3 City Commissioner Lynda Donato agreed, noting that investing in grants and repairs makes more sense than spending money on a temporary solution.
“I’d rather spend $500,000 as a match for a grant to repair City Hall than to make unnecessary upgrades to a temporary space,” Donato said.
Zone 2 City Commissioner Roger Eckert expressed support for a temporary move but cautioned against excessive new construction.
“The concept presented includes a lot of new construction that may not be needed,” he said. “I would like to see a more temporary concept, so we can use this space as a rental later.”
When the discussion turned to the delays in City Hall repairs, Eckert added, “From my point of view, the citizens didn’t want taxes raised, and some commissioners are more focused on getting re-elected and cutting the tax rate. I know you guys don’t like us charging you money, but all we have is what you give to the city.”
In September 2023, Eckert made a motion to reduce the millage rate from 6.85 to 6.5, which passed without discussion. The motion faced opposition from former Mayor Cameron Lane and Rutledge. At the time, no funds were set aside for repairs to City Hall.
Zone 4 City Commissioner Charlene Bishop was absent from the Feb. 20 workshop.
Former mayors and commissioners step up with solutions
As commissioners discussed logistics, former mayors, former commissioners, and community members quickly stepped forward with solutions.
At the January City Commission meeting, Angelo Rotondo, a construction professional and member of the Lake Helen Historic Preservation Board, presented drawings and cost estimates, free of charge, for converting the CAC into a temporary or permanent City Hall and transforming the old shuffleboard court into a new city museum.
He also recommended conducting a full assessment of City Hall’s repair needs.
“That building can be repaired. I know what these buildings take,” Rotondo assured the commission. “I’m willing to give you my time to get an idea and a price.”
Resident Nancy Weary questioned the spending priorities.
“We pay a lot of money in taxes. Why would we spend the money here instead of fixing City Hall? There are grants out there for municipalities,” Weary said.
Former Mayor Buddy Snowden cautioned the commission about the importance of their next move.
“The decision that you make affects the history of Lake Helen,” Snowden said.
Alan Cooke Sr., another former city commissioner, pushed for immediate action, offering to coordinate with Rotondo and with former Lake Helen Mayor and preservation expert Mark Shuttleworth to address the most urgent issues.
“We need to do something now. Not tomorrow,” Cooke insisted.
Next steps: Assess, plan and preserve
The workshop concluded with clear next steps: A new assessment of City Hall’s structural and environmental safety will be provided by a volunteer team including Rotondo, Cooke and Shuttleworth, with the City Commission’s approval. The team will work with the city administrator to arrange for a new air-quality assessment and then determine the most urgent repairs.
A firm deadline of five weeks was set for the group to report back to the commission with their findings and recommendations.
Mayor Vernon Burton raised concerns about the safety of city employees, stressing that if the air-quality assessment results are unfavorable, staff relocation will be expedited. He emphasized the need to act with urgency and purpose.
“We have kicked this can down the road for a lot of reasons… at some point, we are going to have to make hard decisions,” Burton said. “Let’s not worry about the money — let’s make a decision and work towards making it happen.”
