WESTMINSTER : More Funds OKd for City Offices at Mall

The City Council has approved an additional $45,000 for improvements to the planned city offices and police substation at Westminster Mall.

Acting as the Redevelopment Agency, the council’s decision last week brought to $120,000 what the city has budgeted so far for the storefront operation at the city’s biggest mall.

The city has set aside $75,000 in its 1993-94 budget to build workstations for police, water and community service volunteers and a conference room at the mall. City officials said additional money is needed for electrical and air-conditioning repairs.

With the city “store,” set to open this fall, residents can pay water bills or traffic tickets, register to vote, sign up for recreation classes or pick up information on city services while shopping, officials said.

Penny Loomer of the city’s Community Services Department said the city may even sell pins, T-shirts and old equipment, such as fire hydrants and water meters. Office hours will be the same as the mall’s, including weekends and evenings.

“We’re very excited,” said Nancy Feightner, manager of the mall. “This is a good partnership between us and the city.”

Feightner said the city offices will be in the mall’s lower level, the former site of Republic Savings Bank, which closed last year. She said the mall will pay for two police officers who will be assigned to the substation.

Feightner said one police officer will patrol the mall when it is open. A temporary police substation will open Oct. 1, although it will take about another month before other city operations will begin, she said.