Commissioners approve move of county counters to 900 Concourse, set new public hours at 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and authorize surplus of concourse kitchen equipment

The Pennington County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 19 approved the phased relocation of eight departments to the new 900 Concourse administrative building, set the building’s public counter hours, and approved surplusing kitchen equipment at the existing concourse building.

Relocation schedule and departments: County staff outlined a phased move beginning in late October and running through mid‑November, aimed to keep public access available during the transition. Initial IT work and partial Human Resources moves are slated in late October. Register of Deeds, Auditor, Treasurer and Planning and Zoning are planned to move in staged shifts that will include weekend moves so the new concourse counters can open to the public on successive Mondays (first full public opening projected Nov. 3 and Nov. 10 for later moves). The full shift of the named departments is expected to be completed by mid‑November.

Hours at Concourse: The board considered public input on hours and the county’s internal staffing patterns. Commissioners voted to set the Concourse public counter hours to 7 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday, effective for each department once it is fully operational at the new location. Commissioners said that will provide the early‑morning access many constituents requested while allowing departments time for end‑of‑day processing. The board clarified that departments retain flexibility to set staff schedules (four‑day, five‑day, staggered shifts) to meet operational needs as long as the new public hours are met once a department opens at Concourse.

Kitchen and gym: Buildings & Grounds reported the concourse kitchen is lightly used and expensive to maintain. The board approved a motion to surplus kitchen appliances and equipment so the county may reallocate or sell those items. Commissioners discussed repurposing the kitchen space for future departmental growth; the surplus decision will allow Buildings & Grounds to auction the equipment and present an itemized surplus list for formal approval.

Public outreach: County staff will publish maps, signage and digital notices to alert residents to the new address, hours and the phased opening schedule. The board asked that staff provide clear signage and front‑door maps at the current county admin building for residents until moves are complete.

Why it matters: Moving counters to Concourse and standardizing hours responds to resident requests for earlier access, aims to consolidate customer service in a modern space and frees room in the old building for departmental reorganization. Surplusing unused kitchen equipment reduces maintenance costs and clears space for future needs.

Ending: Staff will bring a list of surplus items to the board for auction and return with a detailed timeline of department moves and a communications plan before the first scheduled transfer dates.