Utilities board’s new office nearly complete
Published 7:15 pm Thursday, February 6, 2014
The Maplesville Utilities Board is just weeks away from moving into its new space next to the public library on Main Street.
“I can’t wait,” Utilities employee Linda Smitherman said. “Really, for the last 10 years, we’ve been talking about this, and now it’s become a reality.”
Drywall is finished, the walls and trim are painted and workers were installing cabinets and shelves in the front part of the office on Wednesday.
“Just look at all the cabinet space,” Smitherman said.
Electrical wiring, flooring, appliances and a customer window still need to be installed before the board moves in.
The board currently uses a small office in Maplesville Town Hall, both for day-to-day operations and monthly board meetings.
The office is too cramped for utilities board employees, and town hall employees need the office space for their operations.
The board’s new space measures about 1,500 square feet and adjoins a warehouse at the rear of the building, which serves as a maintenance and storage space for utility trucks.
The office will have more storage for paperwork such as customer records, an office for the superintendent, a larger board meeting area, a mudroom for workers to use and a kitchenette in the back for employees.
The project is expected to cost about $70,000, including central air and heat.
The board has owned the space, formerly a hardware store, since purchasing it in the early to mid-2000s.