The Juneau Assembly is moving forward with a plan to temporarily move its regular meetings from City Hall to a new location due to persistent sound quality issues.
During a committee meeting on Monday, members asked city administration to search for alternative locations where the sound quality is better. City Manager Katie Koester originally suggested the idea.
“The sound quality in this room is abysmal and I do think that it’s getting to the point where we’re disenfranchising our public,” she said.
Mayor Beth Weldon also asked the city to move forward with a plan to replace the current audio infrastructure in City Hall, despite an estimated $60,000 price tag.
“I’ve been asking for over a year to do something about our sound system,” she said. “I am in full favor of spending money to fix the sound system, and in the meantime, if we need to meet somewhere else, that is fine with me.”
Members also considered changing Assembly meeting times after some recent meetings have run late into the night because of large agendas. That could mean regular meetings, committee meetings and executive sessions would start earlier in the evening or during the lunch hour.
City leaders are currently negotiating the purchase of two floors of the Michael J. Burns building at the corner of 10th Street and Glacier Avenue. If approved, it would become the new City Hall and city employees would relocate there.
Voters rejected the city’s requests to fund the construction of a new City Hall in 2022 and 2023. The city has sought to replace City Hall due to the extensive maintenance needs and limited space at the current location.
On Monday, Koester suggested Centennial Hall as a potential temporary location to hold regular Assembly meetings. The city-owned building was recently renovated and is just a short walk from City Hall. She said it costs about $1,000 per meeting to rent the space and has booked it for the Assembly’s next regular meeting on July 28.
Some Assembly members were hesitant about the rental price tag at Centennial Hall, and suggested other locations that would be cheaper. Koester said the potential move to the Michael J. Burns building is still at least a year out if it’s approved.
