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Multiple commissioners warned the courthouse’s existing elevator is aging and that a failure would leave upper floors difficult to access for residents who need ADA accommodations. One commissioner said the elevator “is a big concern for a lot of people” and urged staff to produce firm cost and feasibility information rather than defer the issue.

County facilities and commissioners discussed two broad response options: (1) a full modernization or mechanical replacement of the existing elevator shaft and equipment; or (2) an external elevator addition that would provide at-grade adjacent mechanical space and avoid some of the groundwater and shaft issues the current system presents. Staff noted the county’s high groundwater in the building footprint complicates in-shaft repairs.

Director Storms (technology director) and facilities staff recommended getting a manufacturer or maintainer assessment. One participant said he would “contact the project manager at Schindler and have him give me ... a rough idea” of what the county is facing; commissioners asked that facilities return with at least a rough estimate for bringing the current elevator to standard and a second option for an external, non-enclosed elevator.

Commissioners also raised evacuation and stair-evacuation-device needs: staff reported a device intended for non-ambulatory-floor evacuation exists and facilities would follow up to ensure devices are installed and functioning on all stairways. The board requested that facilities include ADA thresholds and likely code triggers for renovations as part of any concept plan, because the level of renovation can legally trigger broader ADA upgrade requirements and materially change cost estimates.

The board asked facilities to present elevator quotes/options and an ADA compliance update at a future regular business meeting so the county can account for safety, accessibility and potential capital funding needs alongside any department-move concepts.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Special Meeting - Admin Building Renovation Workshop","oneSentenceSummary","Board members raised concerns about an aging courthouse elevator and building-wide ADA compliance; they asked facilities to get cost options (including an external elevator) and technical input from the elevator maintainer Schindler and to report back at a business meeting.","taxTitle","Bonner County, Idaho","taxId",49415,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6330588,"Bonner County commissioners review concept plans to move high-traffic services to courthouse first floor",3031,245000,3276000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313833-5793a0b73f8ac7bc544e1bd0faf13956&start=245&end=3276","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313833-5793a0b73f8ac7bc544e1bd0faf13956/thumbnail_245000.jpg","/articles/6330588/Bonner-County/Idaho/Bonner-County-commissioners-review-concept-plans-to-move-high-traffic-services-to-courthouse-first-floor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6330588-980efb8d5cf77d2abb5766205facf359/orig.mp4?Expires=1775170384&Signature=VnUQLBb9Bns8r8cRYVLbI1H8I4hrSzaNL-4ZQpoA-BOtZ7nkbmCnEB1EC5vWJpULgXpAhvoP-IhqmzFR5tDuhO5~1BNBtk4jy6MasJW1QH4O9R3GlVIpNeZPZPlpMZLpuMX~s0oLGYljih4849mYkKE3Gq979I0FKnuct-nonVlfBRCFGVA20cehyKvYeUFOu~wbfYYGIIEwGHP8rB14CYEx2H7wjzjS5Lvhxz6eBFhEuwmSY80kR5lY32qBpDsOUboTlYolGprDB7dLnOYo~H5FFWwvqCpJxYQdVgA3sVcOCQHalXpwRyNqe1RYyTgKB7w3Ma1AufIMX~PUrNrZjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bonner County commissioners and facilities staff spent a workshop session reviewing conceptual floor plans intended to concentrate public-facing services on the courthouse first floor and reduce use of an aging elevator.

Spencer, facilities staff, said the process began with a countywide survey last year asking departments about current and future space needs and public interactions, and that the office has developed three concept layouts — a high-access layout, a low-cost minimal-change option and a middle-ground layout — as starting points for discussion. “We sent out ... a survey, like, a questionnaire to all the departments to kinda ask about what their needs were and are and will be,” Spencer said, explaining the concepts are meant to start a department and public review process.

The concepts matter because commissioners repeatedly framed the project around a single goal: keep as much customer foot traffic as possible on the First Floor so visitors do not need to use the building elevator for routine business.

County Clerk Rosedale and other department representatives told the board that some offices do not need to move but that recording, the treasurer’s counter and elections all have operational needs that could be better served by first-floor locations. “I don't know about the First Floor, but auditing has enough people. We don't need to grow,” Clerk Rosedale said, while acknowledging recording sees enough public interactions that a first-floor counter could make sense.

Spencer and facilities staff described one working concept in which the treasurer would relocate to the front of the first floor with recording behind it, elections would expand toward available back storage for equipment and road and bridge would shift into a space that better fits its current staffing levels. Staff said planning would remain on the second floor because of its footprint and adjacency to assessor functions; several commissioners agreed planning could not reasonably move.

Board members and staff asked for more data and visual materials before committing to a direction. One commissioner requested department-level daily customer counts or the survey results used to produce the concepts so the board could evaluate floor-plan tradeoffs using the same data. Spencer said the department had used survey responses and follow-up meetings with department leads to create the three concept options and planned to circulate those concepts and the survey results within about a month for review.

Cost and budget questions surfaced repeatedly. Facilities staff offered a rough estimate that a remodel similar in scope to a previously executed DMV remodel — about $200,000 — is a reasonable starting point for moving the treasurer into the first-floor space because of the counter, seating and accessibility work required. Commissioners said available capital funds and the county budget cycle (budget open call in April) will dictate which options are feasible and when work could begin.

Commissioners asked for tours of the affected office spaces (treasurer, recording, elections) so they can visualize circulation, storage and accessibility needs before directing staff to hire architects or produce construction drawings. Several commissioners emphasized the need for a cost-benefit approach: produce concept drawings and internal conceptual estimates before spending money on detailed architectural work.

The board directed facilities and engineering to finish their concept layouts, circulate survey results and set up site tours with department directors, with the understanding that any final plan will be shaped by budget availability and further cost estimates.

For planning and public transparency, commissioners asked that facilities report back at a regular business meeting with concept drawings, the survey results that informed them and an initial internal cost estimate so the board can prioritize next steps and funding.","Commissioners and facilities staff reviewed concept layouts aimed at keeping most public foot traffic on the courthouse first floor, discussed department moves (treasurer, recording, road and bridge, elections) and asked for data, cost estimates and tours before advancing designs.","actionData","errors"]

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Commissioners press facilities for elevator and ADA plan after workshop highlights accessibility risks

Bonner County commissioners review concept plans to move high-traffic services to courthouse first floor