Lincoln Aldermen discuss windows at City Hall

 

[April 04, 2023] 

At the Monday night session of the Lincoln City Council a side discussion came up while discussing the payment of bills on the consent agenda. The topic came about because the payment of bills had changed just before the voting session of the council. The change involved the number of new windows the city has installed in the City Hall Building.

The original bid of just around $210,000 had not included an accurate number of windows to be installed. Therefore a supplemental bill was being presented for three additional windows that were not in that original bid.

Aldermen had been made aware of the miscount, and approving the additional windows was not an issue that would delay the vote.

However, while talking about the windows, Kevin Bateman brought up an issue that the city will need to decide how to handle. Bateman said that he thought it would be a good idea to ask the public if they notice the issue and if it is something that bothers them.

The exact issue is the yellow transoms at the top of the first-floor windows and the majority of the second-floor windows.

Bateman explained that throughout the first floor, and in the fire department quarters on the second floor, drop ceilings had been installed several years ago. The windows are long enough that the top portions expose what is above the drop ceilings.

The old windows had been painted white on the exterior to block the view, much like the transom over the City Hall front entrance is currently.

Bateman said that the city had opted to go with white vinyl overlaying the upper panes of glass on the inside. The vinyl chosen was a pure white, but when it was installed onto the glass the color mutated into a yellowish hue due to the coloring in the glass. So, instead of the nice clean white that matches the exterior trims, the transoms are a creamy yellow.

Bateman said the windows are already installed and there is nothing to do with the vinyl on the inside that would make things better anyway. The best answer is going to be to install new bright white vinyl on the exterior side of the windows.

He added of course, that would cost more money. He wondered if the city should keep the windows as is for a while and get the opinion of the public.

Steve Parrott said that he thought maybe it wasn’t all that noticeable. He said that until he was told about the situation, he had not noticed that the transoms were yellow.

Mayor Tracy Welch said that he had noticed, and he felt like action needed to be taken to make the transoms more consistent with the window trim.

He noted that yes, it would cost more money, but the money used to install the windows in the first place was from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds which the city needs to spend so as not to have to give it back.

Continued discussion led to other aldermen indicating they would prefer to go to the alternate plan and get rid of the yellow.

Though there was not action item on the agenda regarding the yellow windows, by nod of head, the aldermen indicated they would prefer to move forward with the outside vinyl so the windows will match the trim.

[Nila Smith]