Village of Sister Bay officials know a new administration building is needed, but the timing and finances are stumbling blocks it is still trying to navigate. Relocating its current administration building on Maple Drive has been in the works since at least 2023, when the village worked with Ayres and Associates on an updated facilities plan. The village worked with McMahon and Associates on different designs for the new building slated to be built on the Logerquist property near Woodcrest Road. Plans for a new administration building took a hit last month when the village had to navigate an issue with property taxes being unexpectedly raised by approximately 10 percent and concerns with its Capital Improvement Plan. During Tuesday’s meeting, village officials and residents were unanimous that the building needs to be replaced, but the path to getting there was up for debate. Richard Burress suggested that there might be 14 options that might make sense for a new administration building, expressing his disappointment that the Logerquist property was ever purchased.

Residents echoed Burress’ sentiment, saying that more creative solutions should be explored before building a new space on the Logerquist property. They also applauded the board for slowing the process down so they could evaluate the village’s finances before moving forward. Village employees Janal Suppanz and Heidi Teich expressed their disappointment in the pause in the administration center project, expressing that they will have to make do with what they have until a solution is finally found.

Later in the meeting, Village Board President Nate Bell called for the formation of a committee to discuss the future administration building, which would consist of two trustees and five other stakeholders. The matter will be discussed at the March meeting. You can watch the meeting below.