County leases former bank to house employment office

Jefferson County signed a three-year, $321,840 contract Tuesday to lease the former Redwood Savings Bank, 1000 Coffeen St., for its displaced employment and training office.

The approximately 30 employees, including partners from the state Department of Labor, are expected to move the week of Sept. 28 to the 8,940-square-foot building, which is now owned by Watertown Savings Bank.

The move isn't far from their current location, a modular building on Jefferson Community College's campus.

Employment and Training was stationed there for 13 years, but the college decided in June to make the nearly 9,000-square-foot building the temporary home of its new Higher Education Center.

Lawmakers approved the move to the former bank, 14-1, at their Aug. 4 meeting.

Legislator Scott A. Gray, R-Watertown, cast the sole dissenting vote.

Mr. Gray said Wednesday that county administrators and Employment and Training leaders had not made enough of an effort to research alternative locations that may also have met the office's needs.

The federal government gives each county employment office a lump sum to use for both overhead and programming. Mr. Gray argued that if the best lease wasn't found, there would be less for programs.

He said he also voted against the bill because "it's a pristine building. It's on a highly marketable thoroughfare. And I'm not sure government should be tying up a building like that."

The county will use federal funds to pay for the lease and related expenses, although the state Labor Department is expected to share those costs as well.

Michael E. Kaskan, deputy county administrator, said the state's share is still being negotiated, but he expects it ultimately will pay 35 to 40 percent of the total annual cost.

Spike C. Decker, county buildings and grounds superintendent, had once planned to move Employment and Training and the local state Labor Department office to vacant space in the County Office Building.

Both offices have added staff since the move was organized several years ago, he said, and were no longer able to fit into the 6,000 square feet left for them on the building's second floor.

County leaders have decided instead to move the Office for the Aging and Veterans Service Agency, which are in the basement of the Human Services Building, to the County Office Building's second floor. That move is expected in January.

"There's about 1,200 square feet more that they're going to occupy, which is going to allow us to have a decent waiting room," Mr. Decker said. "It will be a little nicer for the clients."

He said he hasn't decided what to do with vacant first-floor space at the County Office Building that previously was designated as the future home of those two agencies.

Besides removing a teller line, Mr. Decker said, the future Employment and Training Site needs few renovations.

"That was one of the major selling points," he said. "It's ready to go."