HASKINS – The construction of a modern municipal hall is expected to give village administration some
much-needed elbow room and provide conveniences for residents.
Groundbreaking for the new structure, located on the site of the former Haskins Elementary School on
North Findlay Street, is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.
Village offices have been crammed close together in their current home.
"We’re kind of outgrowing it," said Village Administrator Colby Carroll.
The present structure, a former church located at 100 N. Church St., was built in 1870, and it is showing
its age and restricting what village administrators can do, Carroll said.
"The council chambers is functional for us, and it works great," he said, "but we have a
lot of organizations" including sports and scouting groups, "that use our facility for
meetings and registrations."
Steps leading up to the front door can make it difficult for some to enter, he said.
"It’s also our polling place of the area, so at times it gets a little crowded and the downside is
we have to shut village offices down when there’s an election" due to space issues.
"We’ve also had times where we have filled the venue for a council meeting if it’s a topic we have a
lot of interest in and input from the community."
Additionally, air conditioning and heating expenses in the aging structure have proved prohibitive –
Carroll said that during some months the gas bill has ballooned beyond $600, and the hall has little
insulation.
"We fight all summer long to keep the building cool. We fight all winter long to keep it warm."

Issues like that, he said, pushed the village away from considering an expensive remodel and towards
constructing a new building.
In November, council approved a one-year, $400,000 construction note to finance the project. An agreement
with Buehrer Group Architecture and Engineering and Midwest Construction was formalized in April.
"We were trying to be as fiscally smart as we could to keep the cost down on the actual
construction," said Carroll, noting the village will take care of other related matters, like
sidewalks at the site, in-house.
Carroll said the location on the former school grounds "gives us a little more ease of access, and
certainly more parking than we have now."
"It’s in the public eye," he said of the site. "It’s right there."
The new building will encompass 3,911 square-feet.
"I think it’s going to give us a lot more community access," Carroll said. "I hope the
community takes advantage. The way the floor plan’s designed," elections can take place and village
business can function at the same time. It can also accommodate multiple groups simultaneously, and,
like the current village hall, will include space for the Haskins Police Department.
"Right now some of our evidence is stored off-site in a secure location, so that will bring it under
one roof," explained Carroll, who also serves as village police chief. Similarly, village and
police records stored elsewhere can be brought back to the new building, saving time.
He said the building, outfitted with generator backup, will further serve an emergency purpose in the
case of a massive power outage, making it "a local focal point for the community to come to"
in such circumstances.
Another draw for the new structure: efficiency.
"It’s certainly going to be more efficient," Carroll said, referring to heating and air
conditioning expenses and other costs.
"To be responsible financially, I think that’s probably the most exciting for everybody to see that.
I hate to say we’re saving money, but I think in reality we’re going to do very well."