On Aug. 8 the County Property Committee reviewed the facilities budget for 10 county buildings and discussed vehicle replacement, maintenance spending and capital needs.

Facilities staff said they had increased some maintenance and building-repair lines and left others stable; they noted specific one-time purchases earlier in the year, including a Bobcat, and said some equipment purchases would be deferred. Staff reported five county trucks ranging from 2011 to 2018 and said age, salt exposure and heavy winter use accelerate wear. “I have 5 trucks. The oldest truck is a 2011. It’s 14 years old,” the facilities speaker said.

Committee members asked about rotation and replacement practices. Tom, who previously worked for a city public-works department, said cities often rotate vehicles on a roughly three-year cycle and pass older vehicles down within departments. The committee discussed seeking used vehicles from state surplus or neighboring cities and noted that major repairs and electronics failures from salt exposure are common cost drivers.

Facilities asked to retain contingency in maintenance incidental and vehicle-maintenance lines because of known upcoming repairs and unpredictability of parts and labor. The committee voted to forward the budget items to the finance committee for further review and prioritization.

No appropriation decisions were adopted at the meeting; committee members directed staff to bring proposals to finance and suggested exploring state surplus or intergovernmental options for vehicle procurement.