Supervisors hear request to increase emergency storage building bond limit by $360,000

Emergency Management staff asked the Johnson County Board of Supervisors on July 23 to increase the bond limit for a storage building project by $360,000 to cover higher site and material costs. A county presenter identified as Dave summarized the project history, telling supervisors the building was originally designed as a "15,000 square foot" heated storage facility but "has gone down in size ... to 10,000 square foot" as a cost-cutting measure. He said the county received higher civil estimates and that the City of Tiffin offered property and compactable fill at no cost. The budget increase request would align the project with a recently raised legal bond threshold; Dana Asherbinder from the finance department confirmed the intent is to borrow the additional $360,000 and that the cost will be included in the next fiscal year's budget. Project design changes reallocated façade materials rather than adding new elements, and staff said the building has no air-conditioned space, one unisex restroom and a shower for dive-team decontamination. Supervisors posed questions about whether material reallocations would reduce costs; staff said reallocation likely would not produce savings because the facade is being applied to a larger wall face. No formal vote was taken; staff said the item would be placed on the board's agenda for formal consideration the following day.