The city’s transit department is allocating an estimated $35,000 to remodel its offices.
Columbus City Council members have voted approving a resolution for the transfer of $27,000 between categories in the transit non-reverting fund to help pay for bus depot renovations.
The project is expected to start in late 2023 and continue through early 2024, city officials said.
“Right now it’s basically an open-office concept, and we’re looking to move a couple walls, and it will expand the dispatch area and then create a couple private offices,” explained Department of Public Works Director Bryan Burton. “And currently, the dispatchers are working out of the break room, which kind of takes that away from the drivers. So then this will create them a break room or a little break area, not so much room, as well. So we’ll get quite a few benefits out of this.”
He added that with the current layout, there is a security door to the office but no emergency exit door within the office area, so that is included in the project as well.
The project cost is estimated at approximately $35,000, and the approved resolution reallocates $27,000 from various “Other Services and Charges” line items to help cover capital expenditures for the project.
The transit department already has additional funds available in the capital category that should help make up the estimated remainder of the project, said Burton.
“This will allow for some privacy for conversations and meetings and just a lot of bang for our buck,” he said.
