The Alma City Council has assigned a committee to study long-range plans for replacing city hall.
    
Structural settling of the city'hall and public library building has caused cracks and movement of walls the city council has monitored now for several years.
    
Alma Alderman Robert Oium said there was "no fix with any guarantees" and the city was spending too much money to have engineers do structural observation and measuring of movements.  Instead, the council has a local builder and contractor monitoring building changes and filling cracks as needed.  Alma Mayor Robert Scow said hiring a local builder to monitor structural changes would save money.
    
Alderperson Mary Johnson said the city hall was "beyond settling" and the council has to be prepared to move forward with a building plan at some point.  Johnson said she did not want to see the city council shove the problem in the closet and not think about it. She advised starting on replacement plans.
    
Alderman Jim Wilkie recommended continued documenting of building movements so that the council was aware of changes.