Please don't build a less than optimal long term Town Center.

The Town Council has made a good faith effort to raise private donations for this project. Now is the time to put a bond issue on the ballot and let the voters decide if they want to fund the remaining balance to build an optimal Town Center.

Nope, we don't want to fund it. This was sold (and designed) on all private donations. Talk about a bait and switch!

And Peter Carpenter, if the voters would need to pay, why can't it be scaled down? Is everything in this thing really "necessary"? Fitness center for police? Haven't we gone many, many, many years without one of those? That's a "nice to have", not a "necessary" item. Just one example.

A town center needs to be funded one way or another. The buildings are in poor condition, especially the portable buildings. The cost of maintenance is increasing. Rebuilding will be cheaper in the long run than the constant cycle of patch and repair. When things break, town staff can't work as efficiently. A new town will realize recurring cost savings too as it will be net zero energy.

The town center has already been significantly scaled down from its original plans. We want to build a functional town center that operates efficiently for the residents and employees. We don't want to skimp to the point that it will cost us more in the long run to workaround penny wise, pound foolish decisions.

I agree with Peter that the town has made a good faith effort. It just may be too high a hurdle to find 100% private funds. I'm supportive of having a new town center funded partly by bonds and private funds.

"Nope, we don't want to fund it."

How embarrassing to live in a community that would not pay for its own police station and town center!

Atherton residents approved and are paying for tens of millions of dollars of bonds for elementary and high school buildings even though few Atherton residents actually attend those schools. Why in the world would we not gladly support a bond for a new police station for a police department that is doing a great job? And a new administrative space to replace worn out and unsafe buildings?

Because it's much, much more than is needed to replace worn out buildings. You know this, and so do/did the supposed private donors.

@Nope
I doubt it's much more than what is needed. The civic center committee has building industry experience. I'm sure they are vetting the proposal every step of the way.

If you have ideas for bringing down the cost while ensuring the building maintains its functionality for the long term, I would encourage you to get in contact with the committee.