Mayor John Rey has created a task force to assist in the renovations to City Hall. The group will meet this week.

Second ward alderman Bill Finucane, fifth ward alderman Ron Naylor and others from the city’s staff and finance advisory board have been mobilized to create a plan for the renovation of city hall. The task force will hold its first meeting Thursday in City Hall.

DeKalb’s City Hall, 200 S. Fourth St., previously housed the Police Department.

Now that the Police Department has relocated to 700 W. Lincoln Highway, the first floor of city hall has been left vacant.

The departure of the Police Department has also raised security concerns for city hall.

“We’re to review several items, and issues, that surround the rehab initiative,” Naylor said. “To consolidate all of the issues into a program, a recommendation that the task force can then bring back to the full city council to consider, and hopefully expedite the process.”

A decision has been made to move the finance department to the first floor until the renovation begins.

“I think providing citizen services in a convenient manner is my primary objective,” Rey said.

Rey said depending on recommendations, he expects the renovation to begin by late summer.

“There’s some issues that would have been needed to be addressed even if the police had stayed there.The heating ventilation system is outdated and not very energy efficient,” Finucane said.

Finucane said he thinks some of the things they’re going to look at doing is to try and make it more user-friendly to the public.