Southwest Missouri News--Hollister

by Carol Harris, Branson area, and Marti Attoun, Joplin area

The city of Hollister dedicated its new 7,500-square-foot town hall Jan. 22. The new building is located at 312 Esplanade, just northwest of the Hollister train depot which previously housed several city offices.

According to Vonnie Fuqua Mathiesen, administrative assistant for the city of Hollister, the new town hall was designed by Butler Architects of Branson and built by Unified Construction of Springfield at a cost of $550,000.

"We moved from three separate buildings to under one roof," Mathiesen said. She said the city employs about 30 people, and the new city building includes offices for public safety, utilities, city clerk, personal and real estate tax collections, city planning, administration and the mayor. The city fire station remains on Business Highway 65 in Hollister.

New for the police department is the two-cell holding facility. "It keeps police from transporting each person (picked up) to the Taney County Jail in Forsyth," Mathiesen said. The town hall "will also make available 24-hour dispatch service." Another benefit of the new town hall is a drive-through window for utility payments.

Mathiesen said the Hollister Chamber of Commerce plans to move to the train depot building vacated by the city.