Roeland Park is moving forward with plans to renovate City Hall, with work set to start in August of next year.</p><p> A tentative timetable calls for construction drawings to developed beginning in March, bids to let by July and renovation to begin by August.</p><p> Money for the project will come from $2.9 million in existing tax increment funds from the TIF district surrounding and including City Hall.</p><p>On Monday night the City Council voted 6-1 to pay $7,378 for a cost estimating service addendum for Gastinger Walker Harden Architects. Councilman Bill Art was absent. McCown Gordon Construction will work with the architectural firm to price items in need of replacement or repair prior to going to bid.</p><p>Also unanimously approved was a resolution authorizing construction of improvements to City Hall. The resolution allows the city to issue general obligation bonds to finance the improvements. City administrator John Carter explained that bonds could give the city a low interest rate to finance the project. The bonds could then be repaid using TIF funds. </p><p>The council voted 5-2 in September to make the building more aesthetically pleasing and improve the programming. Plans under discussion include improving police facilities on the first and half of the third floors and expanding the City Council chambers on the second floor. One goal on the first floor is separating prisoners from the general public with a different entrance.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Other business</span></strong></p><p>In other business, the council agreed to make revisions to sale announcement that Carter prepared for the former Roeland Park Elementary School. The building will be offered for sale to anyone interested in using the building as a school, church or as part of a residential proposal, Carter said.</p><p>Councilman Scott Gregory opposed the document, which he described as &ldquo;having a garage sale on the building.&rdquo; He said he favored razing the building and using the land for new home construction.</p><p>Last month Community Living Opportunities said after months of negotiations that it is not interested in purchasing the building.</p><p>The council also unanimously approved the low bid of Kissick Construction Co. in the amount of $2,653,031 for storm drainage improvements for the RC12-014 project. The engineer&rsquo;s estimate for the project was $3.7 million.</p><p> The council also:</p><p>&bull;Voted 6-1 to add Veteran&rsquo;s Day as a city holiday in 2010. Councilman Robert Meyer was opposed.</p><p> &bull;Authorized the sale of $5.8 million in temporary notes to finance several projects, including the RC12-012 stormwater, RC12-012 streets, RC12-014 stormwater, Roe Lane, Clark Drive storm drainage and 53rd Street/Buena Vista CARs projects. </p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">ROELAND PARK</span></strong><br /> </div>