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Monroe council agrees to complete City Hall project
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MONROE - City Hall may soon house city staff again after a Monroe Common Council decision Tuesday to solicit offers from companies to complete the flooring project that began in August 2016.

It was unanimously agreed upon by the council.

Aldermen consulted with a contract attorney hired by the city to aid in its dispute against Milwaukee-based KPH Environmental and Construction during closed session. KPH was originally hired to remove asbestos from the aged flooring. Council members decided to proceed after being advised on the testing that took place recently and the ongoing dispute between the city and the company.

City Administrator Phil Rath said staff hope to send out requests by the end of the week.

City Attorney Dan Bartholf and Rath worked with the contract attorney over the last month to hire a company to conduct new tests on the building to deduce why the flooring problems occurred and whether KPH was at fault.

Rath said the city is "at a point where we've done our own testing and under advice of counsel will proceed with cost of flooring."

No additional testing will be necessary. Work can be done and the floor can be sealed, allowing workers like Rath to move back into the building currently sitting vacant.

Work meant to last roughly six weeks has displaced city staff for over a year, split between the westside fire station, the wastewater treatment facility, Monroe Police Department and other municipal buildings. Planned exterior work in conjunction with the flooring project has already been completed.

The dispute and pending legal action against KPH has "not been resolved," Rath added.