MONTICELLO — The City Hall building has sold to State Bank andTrust, and town officials are now exploring their options for a newhome.

The action was taken at regular board meeting Tuesday.

Owen Carty, chief executive officer of State Bank’s southerndivision, was present for the vote.

“We are excited about coming,” Carty said. “We have always beena public service bank and look forward to opening here as soon aspossible. We appreciate your support.”

State Bank purchased City Hall for $85,000. City Hall had calledthe old Deposit Guaranty bank building home since April 1997.

State Bank could be in the building in as little as 30 days,Carty said, depending on how long the regulatory process takes.

“We have already put in motion the application to begin theregulatory process,” he said.

Although the bank is eager to begin work on the building, Cartysaid, he added they would understand and work with city officialsif it took them longer to move out of it.

Carty also announced that Tommy Jolly, the former owner of JollyFord and a native of Monticello, would have a major role in the newbank branch.

Jolly said he would prefer not to comment publicly on what thatrole would be at this time, but said it would be in a leadershipposition.

The sale of city hall left officials with several options for anew home, which were complicated by the needs of the policedepartment.

The police department is in major need of structural roofrepairs and wiring renovations.

Mayor David Nichols told the board their options were to moveinto the Eunice Chapman building, which was donated to the city bythe Eunice Chapman Trust a few months ago; move the policedepartment into the Chapman building and city hall into the policedepartment; or move city hall temporarily and construct a newone.

The issue was further complicated by a person interested inpurchasing the Chapman building for a business enterprise.

“I don’t want to have to make two moves unless we have to,”Nichols said.

Ward 4 Alderman Dick Reeves agreed and suggested city hall moveinto the Chapman building.

“If we don’t go there, where are we going to go? We need to makesome concrete decisions,” he said.

The board discussed using the Chapman building as a temporaryhome while constructing a new city hall and police departmentcomplex. They estimated the cost of a new city hall at $250,000.Most of the money would be gained in the sale of city hall and$50,000 for the Chapman building.

That option, however, was quickly dismissed because of thenecessary renovations needed at the police department.

The board considered moving the police department into theChapman building and occupying the present police department, butdecided it would be less expensive to move city hall to the Chapmanbuilding.

“If you go down there, you’re going to spend more to renovate itfor a police department than you would a city hall. A lot more,”Police Chief Willard Griffin said.

Nichols agreed. He said all the Chapman building requires to beused as a city hall is flooring and new paint. Additional lightingmay also be necessary.

Nichols added, however, he would also like to make plans to adda drive-through window like they presently have.

“This is a great service for our elderly residents,” Nicholssaid. “They can pay their city bills without leaving theircars.”

The alderman agreed it was a good service and one they wouldlike to continue. The window would probably not be availableimmediately after the move, however.

In the end, the board decided to leave the police departmentwere it is and hire an engineer to make the necessary repairs. Cityhall will draft up their needs at the Chapman building and takebids. Officials hope to get the work completed and be out of thepresent building as soon as possible to allow State Bank to movein.

Also, Ward 2 Alderman Ed Melzer put forward a motion for thetown to purchase four signs, one for each way into town, markingMonticello as the hometown of Secretary of Education Rod Paige.

The board agreed to the plan, but did not approve it until theycould investigate designs and costs of the signs.