Ground was broken on March 28, 1976 for the new City Council Chambers addition to City Hall. It will be a completely separate building to the west of the present structure.
The City Council is facing the need to either refurbish and enlarge the existing Council Chambers or to build a new building. the second alternative seem the most likely, as the space vacated in the present City Hall could be used for crowded city departments.
Plans for a $700,000 building to house the City Council have been approved, but the whole project has bogged down over the projected $89,500 needed to make the existing City Hall conform to the new building. Complete details on rearranging city departments in order to make the best use of space are given.
The Children's Room will be completely refurbished - partly with city funds and partly from a drive headed by Mayor Charles Gilb. It will be renamed the Jerry Broadwell Children's Library as a memorial to Fire Captain Jerry Broadwell who died in a fire in August 1975.
A brief dedication ceremony for the new chamber building at City Hall was held on April 15, 1977. Total cost, including the remodeling of old quarters for new uses, was $903,000.