By Will Pafford, Staff Writer

A Rollingwood City Council member’s attempt to restrict projects in the city during this fiscal year was defeated as the council approved $82,700 for City Hall improvements. 

Alderwoman Shanthi Jayakumar proposed freezing all projects from the budget for this fiscal year that were not health and safety or immediate danger issues during the City Council meeting on March 18. 

The Council defeated the proposal and approved five projects to improve City Hall on a 4-1 vote, with Jayakumar dissenting. 

The five projects are building out the garage for additional office space, laying down carpet, constructing a shade structure for police vehicles, modifying restrooms and building a patio roof. 

Jayakumar said the city should be cautious and defer projects that are not immediately essential, “so we can use our funds where they are needed first.” 

She said the city should work on road and water system improvements before undertaking the City Hall improvements. 

Alderman John Barton said installing carpet in city hall could prevent someone from slipping and falling, and also save the city from a potential lawsuit. 

City Administrator Vicky Rudy said the walls of the current restrooms are not waterproof, and they are absorbing human waste. 

“It’s more about the nastiness of the bathrooms, because they get a lot of traffic,” she said. 

Alderwoman Liz Krakow said although converting the City Hall garage to office space to bring building services in house is not essential for this year, she wants to continue to move forward on the project so the      city can have more oversight. 

The conversion would also help the city provide more information about building in Rollingwood, Alderman Brian Nalle said. 

“I look at that as improving city processes,” he said. 

Mayor Dale Dingley said the shade structure for police vehicles would extend the life of the     electronics in the patrol cars and save the city funds. 

Jayakumar said there are reasons to do each projects, but the Council does not have to do them during this year. 

“I don’t think it’s asking too much to defer it until the next budget cycle,” she said.

Barton said it’s inefficient to micromanage these projects that benefit the community. 

The city should also do many of the projects at the same time, Rudy said. 

Jayakumar’s proposed moratorium on the projects was defeated 1-4, with Jayakumar voting for the freeze. 

In other city news:

• Rollingwood will participate in Earth Hour 2009, an event sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. The voluntary event calls for residents to turn off their lights between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday as part of a worldwide effort to signal the importance of global warming to world leaders. Jayakumar said it           will be a fun project that brings the community together.