The Campbell City Council is back discussing how to go about redoing the city’s civic center, which could entail either renovating or rebuilding city hall, police headquarters and library.

A study session on Sept. 5 centered on whether the city should retrofit some of the building or build something new. The council took into consideration where to house emergency response operations in the event of a citywide disaster.

The council has been discussing a civic center revamp since 2013. Anderson Brule Architects, contracted by the city that year to mock up conceptual designs, estimated three possible design scenarios that could cost $50 million to $164 million.

Based on a seismic assessment done by Biggs Cardosa Associates earlier this year, neither city hall nor the library could house emergency operations in the event of a natural disaster such as a severe earthquake. It is likely both buildings would see too much structural damage in the wake of such a disaster, according to the assessment.

“That’s not to say these buildings could not be brought up to that standard, (but) it would be rather costly,” Todd Capurso, public works director, told the council.

According to the staff report, $1.8 million is needed for structural repairs to the library, and $1.1 million for city hall. Upgrading electrical and plumbing systems to be usable during emergency operations would add to those costs.

Campbell’s police department, with 81 employees and 15 volunteers, currently works in a portion of city hall and a portable building in the civic center parking lot. According to Capt. Gary Berg, the portable was installed about 10 years ago as a “temporary solution.”

Library officials have also repeatedly voiced a desire for updated ventilation and more space to accommodate programs and patrons.

Last week staff presented the council with two options. One option is for a renovated city hall and library and the construction of new police headquarters with an emergency response operations center. The second proposal is for a renovated city hall, and calls for renovating the library for use as the new police department and emergency response operations center. The library would be relocated. According to the staff report, either one of these options could cost $40-50 million.

Councilman Jeff Cristina suggested moving the library to the Campbell Community Center on

West Campbell Avenue, but Capurso said the center does not have a large enough building to house the library.

Finding money to renovate buildings and construct news ones has been a challenge for the city. Staff presented multiple ways to fund the project: a parcel tax, general obligation bonds, a user utility tax, a sales tax increase, transient occupancy taxes, or including it in the city’s operating budget. A tax or bond issuance would require voter approval.

City manager Brian Loventhal said the council would like any funding decisions to go before voters in November 2018.

Godbe Research polled voters last year when the council was considering a November 2016 ballot measure. The bond measure polled most favorably with 61.8 percent in favor. The parcel tax got the nod from 54.8 percent of voters surveyed, well below the two-thirds threshold needed for passage.

However, some council members said last week that voters’ minds might have changed since last year’s presidential election.

According to an Aug. 18 memo by staff, if the council were to decide to place a funding measure on the November 2018 ballot, staff would conduct community engagement from November through April. The council would then approve language for a ballot measure by the beginning of June.