The Indianola City Council approved the hiring of an architect at their meeting Monday, to work with city staff to provide more information on new city facilities. City Manager Ryan Waller tells KNIA News the city is in need of new or updated facilities to better serve Indianola residents.

“Our facilities are outdated. There would be some substantial investment needed in facilities that are not big enough to provide the necessary space for what we have, let alone what we need. So hiring this architect helps us get to the next level, having better detailed plans and being able to have really productive conversations with the community on the next steps.”

Waller also said with the Indianola Police Department and Indianola Fire Department storing equipment at three different facilities, it costs extra time in case of an emergency and that can be harmful to Indianola residents.