Corbett says he wants different temporary digs for council meetings

The city's new mayor, Ron Corbett, wants to hold the weekly Wednesday evening council meetings at a different temporary spot than the current spot, an auditorium at AEGON USA, 4333 Edgewood Rd. NE.

Corbett said as much at the end of his first council meeting last week.

Corbett said he doesn't like the AEGON USA auditorium for council meetings. That's the site where council meetings have been held since soon after the June 2008 flood as the flood-damaged Veterans Memorial Building downtown on May's Island - the prior home to City Hall - has sat in limbo.

Corbett wants City Hall to return to the May's Island building.

Corbett said the AEGON USA building isn't well-suited for council meetings. He said he doesn't like the lighting and he said it's hard to see the audience and hard for council members to see each other.

“I'd like to look at different spots,” he said.

The AEGON USA setting has the council members sitting on a stage at the bottom of the room with the audience sitting in tiered rows of desktop seating above the council.

Corbett said some renovation must first take place at the Veterans Memorial Building before council meetings can return there. Also, a majority of council members need to decide if they want to reoccupy the Veterans Memorial Building, and if so, in what way.

Council member Justin Shields, for instance, has said in the past that he favored the building of a new City Hall.