City Council hears possibility of moving Health Department into Michael Schwartz Center

Kent City Manager David Ruller answers a question his colleague Melissa Long asks during the discussion of options for City Hall’s two-year, temporary relocation at the city council meeting on Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

 

Kent State’s Michael Schwartz Center could see some new tenants in the near future.

At Kent’s City Council meeting Wednesday night, City Manager David Ruller presented the idea of Kent’s Health Department moving into the Schwartz Center when City Hall relocates. The department would get an entire floor in the building.  

“They essentially have 3,000 square feet available for (Health Commissioner) Jeff (Neistadt) and the Health Department, and they’re currently only using about 1800 square feet,” Ruller said.

It would be about $15,000 a year for the department to be tenants in the Schwartz Center.

Ruller then explained how the remaining people working in City Hall would be dispersed among the other locations being considered.

“A couple of us could move across to the Fire Department,” Ruller said. “A couple other of us could move over to the Police Department, and it’ll work. Functionally, it’ll work.”

The other possible relocation options include Family & Community Services, Inc., Franklin Elementary School, the former Kent Municipal Court and the Public Service Department Building.

As for the location of council meetings, Ruller named the basement of the Fire Department as a possible option.

Other topics of discussion during the meeting include modifications to the valet program and an update on road salt usage and cost for this past winter and projected needs for next winter.

Contact Kelsey Leyva at [email protected].