The mayor looks for an empty room when he meets with people.

"We're out of space - we have desks on top of desks," said part-time Mayor Scott Harbertson, who tends to use conference rooms or the council chambers.

So the city is looking to build new digs.

Initially, the idea was to renovate and add to Farmington's existing City Hall at 130 N. Main. But when the building caught the eye of a potential buyer, those plans were scrapped in favor of erecting a new downtown facility to meet current and future needs, according to City Manager Max Forbush.

He said City Hall soon will be appraised, and with its sale and the money from a 2006 bond approved by voters to fund the remodel as well as a new police station, "it could finance a new city hall without further debt."

While the logistics and location remain "very, very preliminary," Forbush said the city has had talks with Davis County and the school district about possible city offices amid those State and Main buildings.

Another spot, he said, could be farther south along Main Street. The city has spoken with the owners and occupants of three homes near 200 South, which would put that City Hall within the vicinity of the Community Arts Center and swimming pool.

This new facility would be Farmington's fourth City Hall.

The 1907 City Hall, directly south of the current building, is now the Farmington City Historical Museum. In the mid-1970s, a new City Hall was built near Woodland Park Drive before moving to its current spot in 1984.

That second City Hall was used as storage space, Forbush said, until too much snow caused it to collapse. Construction on a new police station now is under way at that site. It is set to open in December.

Harbertson said he hopes plans pan out for the new City Hall, so construction could start by this time next year.

"We're in limbo right now."

mariav@sltrib.com

Built in 1984, when the city's population was about 6,000, it housed eight employees. Now, the tally of city staffers has doubled and residents number nearly 16,000 - a figure expected to max out at 27,000.