Southeast Michigan Contractors Issue 3 2023 5 PROFILE served the growing community for 68 years. The Activity Center was added in the 1980s. But soon it became apparent that the Township was in need of more space and additional technology to better serve their community. “We had the resources to pay for the project in full,” said Hamill. “That is probably unusual for many local municipalities, but we had been planning for this eventuality for a while and knew that we would need a new facility to better serve the needs of our constituents. I am proud we were able to do this without raising any additional taxes.” With a township population of 4,000 when the original hall was built in the early 50s, Highland had found itself at nearly 20,000 residents in 2022 and the offices have not expanded significantly. It was time to bring the facilities up to date. During the renovation, Hamill and his team did not miss a beat providing all township services by phone, online or in-person in their temporary “shacks.” The temporary office complex was the brainchild of Hamill, who realized not everything could be done online or via phone. “We bought a number of temporary garden sheds to house several employees during public hours,” said Hamill. “Most were by appointment, and on occasion it was chilly, but served the need to meet and conduct business until our new township hall could be utilized. Truthfully, some of our staff miss those shacks,” he joked. Dattilio is proud of his team and their ability to work with a number of ABC contractors, such as Douglas Electric and Multi Drywall Partition on this project. He firmly believes in working with companies that embrace the merit shop philosophy. “There is a confidence in working with fellow member companies,” Dattilio said. “You have an expectation of excellence and know these companies have been vetted by ABC and embrace the same values you do. A level playing field for everyone where you are judged by the quality and value of your work—who could ask for more.” The completed Highland Township City Hall. The exterior begins to take shape as masonry work nears completion. The old Highland Township City Hall building before demolition begins. The roof, windows and Hardie composite siding get added to the exterior. Highland Township city council has a new place to hold town hall meetings.
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