Most city employees have been headquartered on Rowland Way since 2005, when an assortment of downtown bungalows that…More previously served as city offices were red-tagged by the fire marshal. The city pays nearly $800,000 to lease offices on Rowland, but it is looking for a permanent home. One option being contemplated is to purchase the current leased building, but some advocates would rather have civic officials based about a mile away in the downtown district near Grant Avenue.</p> <p>The Rowland building, owned by the Barker Pacific Group, is home to the city manager, the city clerk, other top administrators, building and planning managers, redevelopment agency managers, engineers, finance officials, technical specialists and the parks, recreation and community services staff. In all, about 70 employees are based there; others are based at corporation yards.</p> <p>As of August 2010, the city offices are closed every Friday as part of a cost-cutting effort.</p>

Recruiters from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps share an office at the Nave Center shopping area at Center…More Road and South Novato Boulevard. Recruiting has picked up in Marin County as young people seek ways to attend expensive colleges and serve their country with pride, one recruiter at the office said.</p> <p>It's best to make an appointment by phone with any branch of the services; many times the recruiters are working out of offices in nearby cities or are out in the field. The office hours in Novato can be irregular and often the front door is locked. However, business cards are available outside the office and potential recruits can make an appointment to meet a recruiter at that office.</p>

The renovated City Hall is an unparalleled architectural landmark in Novato. It is the most recognized building in…More town -- next to the truly strange rotating circular house next to Highway 101 and the Euro-odd former Birkenstock shoe factory north of town that reminds people of Lady Liberty's crown.</p> <p>City pride swelled when the old red church at 901 Sherman was reopened in November 2009 to great fanfare. It began life as a Presbyterian church in 1896 and became City Hall in 1963, three years after the city's incorporation. But in 2004, the fire marshal red-tagged the cluster of city buildings in the Old Town area, labeling them unsafe and forcing city employees to find a new home. Since then, they have been housed at 75 Rowland Way, a privately owned commercial building between Vintage Oaks shopping center and Novato Community Hospital.</p> <p>The City Council in 2007 approved plans that called for gutting the interior but preserving much of the historic look of the iconic structure. The idea was to rebuild it as a meeting place but find a permanent new home for city employees elsewhere. The building was moved temporarily about 75 feet north so a new foundation could be built, then placed on the new foundation about 12 feet north of its original location so De Long Avenue could be widened. With a high-tech makeover in and out, Novato City Hall was ready in time for the city's 50th anniversary in January 2010.</p> <p>Novato City Hall is used for meetings of the City Council, Planning Commission, Design Review Commission and various other civic boards. The hall's foyer contains a display of newspaper clippings, church records and other remnants from a time capsule that was opened in 2009 (they were found waterlogged when the small box was pried open). There are two smaller rooms for storage and meetings plus a nerve center for the building's audio/video equipment. Outside, the hall is ringed by a brick patio, and many of the bricks have commemorative inscriptions sold as a fundraiser for the city. The City Green is an adjacent lawn area suited for sun-drenched lounging and open-air celebrations.</p> <p>Novato City Hall is available for special event rentals. For more information, e-mail prcs@cityofnovato.org.</p>