Running the city or running out of office space? Both descriptions apply equally to city employees in Cortez.
During Tuesday night’s regular meeting, City Council authorized Cortez to buy the Empire Electric Association building on Broadway for $1.4 million, with the aim of providing more office space out of which Cortez Police Department personnel can work.
“We at the City of Cortez are really bursting at the seams when it comes to office space,” City Manager Drew Sanders said to Cortez City Council during last Tuesday’s meeting.
In some cases, such as within City Hall, Cortez city staff are already cramped, Sanders said.
“We need to start planning for the future,” he said.
Sanders said that Empire Electric will be constructing a new building out of their main campus further west along U.S. Highway 491.
Further plans may be ahead to move city employees into the police department building, expected to be vacant in the future once law enforcement staff move into the Empire Electric building.
Sanders said that the Empire Electric building is in “really good shape,” adding that the city has an architect to make a more thorough assessment of the space.
Funds for the purchase will be allotted into next year’s budget, said City Attorney Patrick Coleman, giving Empire Electric Association several months to make their move.
Based on what Sanders said, Cortez should have saved a pretty penny on buying the building. According to him, the building was appraised last year for $2.3 million. Cortez negotiated a buying price of $1.4 million, or a 60% reduction.
City council member Bill Lewis said that based on a conversation he had with Empire Electric’s CEO, some furniture might be thrown in with the deal.
Council member Dennis Spruell noted that the price per square footage was reduced significantly under the purchase and thanked Sanders.
“I think it’s an outstanding purchase,” Spruell said. “It saves the city lots and lots of money.”
