Madison County Council on Tuesday approved a $540,000 appropriation to make emergency structural repairs to the Star Bank building parking garage and related capital maintenance after county staff presented an engineer27s assessment showing concrete deterioration and water intrusion.

The repairs followed a structural report from the vendor Structure Care and core-sample testing that found elevated chloride levels in the concrete on the top level of the garage. County staff said the chloride is trapped beneath a membrane at the top level and can form hydrochloric acid that accelerates concrete deterioration. Rick Gardner, a county facilities presenter, said the ramp to the second floor was closed earlier in the year pending the structural review and that some overhead concrete pieces have already fallen onto vehicles.

The council discussed funding in the Capital Asset Improvement Fund and a Star Bank building fund that holds rent revenue from tenants. Gardner said the Star Bank building fund had about $245,442.52 and that the county had previously appropriated $500,000 for capital work; additional immediate needs were identified in the engineer27s report, putting urgent repairs in the range of roughly $859,000 for the garage alone. Gardner told the council the county originally paid about $678,000 for the building and has four tenants (Council of Governments, Star Bank, Veterans Affairs and the coroner27s office) and that the 91 parking spots support county staff and services in the courthouse.

Public commenters urged the council to prioritize the work for safety and tenant access. Jim James and other residents said the building posed hazards to drivers and pedestrians; some speakers urged caution about further spending and asked for more detailed receipts and financial breakdowns. Renee Lawson, who parks at the Star Bank building, said veterans and county staff use the lot and supported repairs.

Council discussion focused on where to draw funds and the capital fund balance. Councilors noted the Capital Asset Improvement Fund currently holds approximately $2,500,000 and that some previously appropriated items (chapel work, clock tower, other deferred maintenance) consume part of the balance. Gardner said failing to make repairs could lead to lease violations with tenants and partial or full closure of the building during winter, disrupting county operations.

Motion and vote: Councilor Keller moved to approve $540,000 for Star Bank building repairs; the motion was seconded. On a roll call vote the measure passed 5–2. Votes recorded in the roll call were: Steele, Kalt, Likens, Vice President North and President Greens — yes; Grabowski and Keller — no. The council president stated, "Motion carries."

The council asked staff to return with further detail on timing, phasing and the fund balance impact and to confirm which line items in the capital plan would be adjusted. Staff said some repairs would begin as soon as possible to avoid closure during winter and that additional work on roofs and chapel piping would be sequenced separately.

The council27s approval covers the urgent, engineer-identified repairs to keep the garage safe and maintain tenant parking; the county directed staff to provide a revised spending and phasing plan at a future meeting.