City Council voted for a second time to table a resolution authorizing bids for the solicitation of the sale of City Hall, although it was a narrow 4-3 vote Thursday night and it came with discussion that led to the majority wanting to revisit the revised resolution at the next council meeting.

Those voting against tabling the resolution were Council President Eric Beiter, Councilman Jon Mackey and the resolution presenter, Councilman Jonah Milliken.

Council President Eric Beiter assured the taxpayers that this will not linger on much longer.

“What we have is a resolution to allow the city administration to open the door to solicit bids for a sale of City Hall,” Milliken said. He clarified how the vote was not to sell City Hall tonight.

Mackey said he appreciated the work done on the resolution but agreed with Milliken’s point made before that – ‘”We need to get out of our own way.'”

“We’re not voting on a proposed use of City Hall tonight,” Milliken said.

“Importantly, the resolution does not require a vote on a request for proposal or invitation for bids (proposals) tonight, or any kind of language about how we are going to sell City Hall. … I would say it’s the city administration’s function about how we are going to do that, and I see that as the drafting of a request for proposals,” he said.

The city administration and police have expressed no desire to go back into the building, Milliken said.

The city paid for studies that indicate it will cost tens of million dollars to renovate, he added.

“That’s why this resolution is 400-some words and it is not a request for proposals because we’re not seven lawyers up here,” he said.

“It’s not our job to write the document we have solicitors to do that, but it is our job to make sure that that building is repurposed in the best interest of the city to where it is used to benefit the city, the most and through the history that that building carries with it,” Councilman David Dussinger said.

“We did receive counsel from one solicitor today on how the building should be put up for sale and what that wording looks like,” Dussinger said.

“I will say we are still looking into all possible avenues on how the conveyance of that building can leave the city and go into the private sector to where it will be utilized the best for the city and we have not yet finished that process of vetting that out,” he said.

“Everybody up here cares about not doing … not screwing this up,” Milliken said. “We want to do the best we can for our city,” he said.

“We are still looking into all options of transferring that building and what that may look like,” Dussinger said.

He suggested the city needed at least another seven days to continue that process and to figure out what options the city has for that building and then bring that back to council with a proposal on the best way to convey that building from the city to another sector.