by JEN BIUNDO

The city of Buda will spend $290,000 to upgrade City Hall and renovate the Houston Street building that will house the Buda Police Department and other city offices, councilmembers voted  unanimously at last Wednesday’s meeting.

The upgrades follow the city’s announcement that former Buda Patrol Chief Bo Kidd will come on board in April to lead the city’s newly created police force.

Buda City Manager Kenneth Williams said the current space crunch at City Hall is affecting staff productivity. The city recently added a tourism director and is in the hiring process for an assistant city manager/planner position.

“We’re just at a point where we need more space to operate as a city,” Williams said.

The city purchased the 7,500 square foot Houston Street building for $450,000 in 2007. Renovations on that building, which will house the new police force, along with departments including engineering, planning, parks and tourism, are estimated to hit $225,000.

The city constructed the north building of City Hall in 1992 and added the south building, which contains the current council chambers, in 2002. The renovations primarily would reconfigure offices and add minimal square footage to City Hall by enclosing the breezeway that connects the two buildings to create a mail room.

City Hall upgrades include $18,000 for a permanent council dais, $5,000 for chairs for councilmembers and top staffers, and $10,000 to replace the city’s aging audio-visual equipment that often leaves the audience at council meetings squinting to read the blurred screen.

The project is being funded through a $750,000 pot of money from a development agreement with the developers of the Meadows at Buda. Additionally, the Sunfield development contributed $400,000 earmarked toward law enforcement that could cover some renovations to the future police station, along with start-up costs such as patrol cars and computers.

The Austin-based GKZ Architects designed the renovations. The city is putting the project out to bid this week and anticipates taking five months for the entire project, though the police portion of the renovations could be complete in early June.