Armory not likely location for City Hall

Fort Scott citizens huddle around the Fort Scott City Commissioners during Tuesday's work session at the armory. The purpose of the work session was to discuss updates on possible uses for the building as well as to get new ideas from the community. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

Multiple factors have put the possibility of moving Fort Scott City Hall to the armory on hold.

Fort Scott City Manager Joe Turner said during Tuesday's work session of the Fort Scott City Commission that the discussions of moving both the Fort Scott Police Department and city hall to the armory have been put on hold.

One of the largest factors to the halting of discussion is a concern with city hall leaving the downtown area. Don Crain was in the audience during the work session and he said that city hall moving out of the downtown area would not help the downtown recover.

"It wouldn't hurt much ... it certainly wouldn't help," he said.

Another leading factor is a possible alternative location for city hall. Commissioner Dick Hedges told the audience that the city is still interested in moving city offices into the Westar building on Old Fort Boulevard. If the city were to reach and agreement and move to that building then it would open the door for the FSPD to move into the current city hall location, according to Turner. He also said the codes enforcement would then be moved into the Hawkins Public Safety Facility with the Fort Scott Fire Department.

"It's like a chess game," Hedges said.

Turner added, "We have a lot of ideas out there ... I know it will work out for everybody in the end."

With the possibility of city hall moving to the armory halted, many other ideas are being discussed. Aside from the two primary concepts of the FSPD and Fort Scott Community College which have been brought to the commission new ideas and variations of previous ideas are being considered.

Turner said that due to a lack of interest from the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office, the concept of a law enforcement center is off the table. He also suggested an idea which would convert the building into a combination of the FSPD, city commission room, and municipal court. This set up would give the FSPD and meeting room separate entrances.

After Commissioner Jean Parker asked the audience for ideas, a citizen in attendance suggested converting the building into an activity center with skating, bowling, and other activities for the local youth.

According to Turner, the city is in no hurry to make a decision. He said the city is looking into as many options as possible in order to make the best, most informed decision.

Fort Scott Mayor Gary Bukowski gave some insight into the decision making process by telling the audience that the city is going to have to "sift through the numbers" to find a way in which the tax payers would have the least burden by way of a mill levy increase.

"We need to look at all facets of cost," he said.

Turner said that he hopes to narrow down the options to the top two or three options then present them in a series of public meetings to get the public's feedback on what the citizens would like to see done with the armory.