Punta Gorda City Council sought a temporary solution when it was unable to meet Jan. 9 at the Military Heritage Museum because elevators weren’t working, which would have been a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It found one when the ADA-compliant Punta Gorda Charlotte Library accommodated the request. But eventually, Council will need to find a long-term, if not permanent, solution to its meeting venue problem that cropped up in 2022, when Hurricane Ian damaged City Hall in the downtown Historic District.
Council and various boards and committees have been meeting in the Military Heritage Museum’s Gulf Theater, 900 W. Marion Ave., until the most recent issue with its elevators.
Referring to ADA law, council member Jeannine Polk said, “If one resident complains, that will be it for the city.”
The library didn’t charge the city to use the room. It isn’t a permanent solution and isn’t available for every meeting the city has scheduled, council members said. Also, use of the space was limited to four hours with Council moving quickly through its agenda.
Council members voted to go out for bid for a venue that can accommodate all of the city’s meetings and criteria.
City Clerk Sara Welch outlined the criteria for Council, saying a meeting place would have to be within city limits and near administrative offices and have adequate parking and interior space for the public. In addition, the venue must provide storage for city equipment, a timer and have audio/visual resources available, accessible microphones and a projector.
Meanwhile, until the elevators are fixed at the museum, city meetings will be held elsewhere. However, meetings in the Gulf Theater might be short-lived, as the museum’s contract with the city ends June 30.
Council members discussed several options, such as renewing the lease with the museum, but that would mean a 10% rent hike bringing the monthly rent to $4,620, and a $100 surcharge for each hour a meeting goes over four hours.
By a unanimous vote, Council voted to rotate meeting venues until a solution is found.
At an earlier meeting before the current Council, the museum, Burnt Store Presbyterian Church and Supervisor of Elections offices were considered. However, the SOE elevator is prone to flooding and use of the space would have to be approved by the Charlotte County Board of Commissioners.
Meanwhile, plans to build a three-level new City Hall building at its present site are on hold. Last year, outgoing Council approved building a nearly $16 million facility, but the new Council wants to step back and reconsider.
At the next meeting Jan. 15, taking place at 9 a.m. at the Punta Gorda Civic Association, 2001 Shreve St., a representative from Chris-Tel Construction of Fort Myers will present a rehabilitation and renovation plan.
The firm submitted a more than 60-page detailed report of the types of work and construction that would take place. However, that plan has a price tag of $19,163,112. The report was prepared for former Urban Design Manager Mitchell Austin in the fall. Austin resigned from his position in November.
