WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — City Hall in Williamsport has a new look ... or looks. In August, city officials discovered poor air quality and mold in the building at 245 West Fourth Street in Williamsport. That building is now condemned.
Most city offices are now located in the Trade and Transit buildings and the River Valley Transit building on Third Street.
"Honestly, the day-to-day operations have just had limited impact. Everybody's email, phone numbers, and all of that has remained the same," said Derek Slaughter, the mayor of Williamsport.
Police headquarters are stationed in the same building as the Mayor at Trade & Transit 1. Officials with the police department say it hasn't been a tough transition.
"We had to go over some hurdles to make sure we are working efficiently, and we still have some to jump, but as we go, we are finding that we are able to function well and kind of have a better environment physically than we did before," said Assistant Chief Jason Bolt of the Williamsport Police Department.
There are still some entities operating out of the condemned City Hall building. The codes department and the daily police patrol units operate on the floors least affected by air quality. They have to evacuate the building by September 20.
"Now we are at patrol and codes as the final two departments, and although the air quality is impacted there, it is not as extreme as the other floors," said Slaughter.
"We manage. We manage, and our officers do an excellent job of trying to make sure our number one priority is public safety," said Bolt.
City officials say there are no plans right now for the condemned City Hall building.
"Once we have the cost estimates and see what the financial impact will be to mitigate the issues, then council and administration will have to work together to formulate a plan," said Slaughter.
The mayor of Williamsport tells Newswatch 16 that in the coming days, the city will be releasing a list to the public that displays where every city department is located.