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Commission reviews capital-improvement and special-equipment lineup; moves some projects and approves budget preparation
Summary
The commission discussed reclassifying accounts, pushed a road-and-bridge building timeline back, reviewed estimates for a courthouse roof and fire/rescue truck, and approved budget preparation documents to move toward the formal budget hearing.
Pratt County commissioners reviewed and revised the county's capital‑improvement and special‑equipment lists, discussed timing and cost estimates for several projects and approved the accountant's budget preparation documents for the coming budget hearing.
Commissioners instructed staff to remove a "non‑budgeted funds" label and clarified that landfill closure funds must be reserved specifically for closure costs. The board also agreed to move the road‑and‑bridge new building timeline farther into the future (a draft target moved to the 2030–2035 range) and to delay work such as sand‑pit acquisition until testing and permissions are secured.
Staff said that basic testing for a proposed sand‑pit site would require a geotechnical test and estimated the testing cost at several hundred dollars. On larger projects, staff cited a courthouse roof estimate in the "$80,000‑plus" range and discussed a fire/rescue vehicle replacement estimate of about $180,000 for a new unit or roughly $160,000 for a used vehicle; staff said departments could opt for a used unit and continue saving if a new truck proved too costly.
The board discussed a separate county building (referred to as the PRRC building) whose tax‑exempt status needs review because the school that previously occupied it has left; commissioners said options include repurposing the building for county departments, selling it, or demolishing it and that doing so would require a plan and potentially significant investment.
On election equipment and special equipment, staff reported the county had purchased a ballot‑printer and is evaluating replacement iPads for voter check‑in, noting some check‑in tablets cannot be updated and will need replacement as part of election readiness. Commissioners also noted a line item for an "energy pilot project" and other statutory fee accounts that appear in the budget for authority to spend if funds exist.
The commission voted 3-0 to approve the accountant's budget preparation documents — a procedural step to allow the county to finalize figures before the formal budget hearing. Staff said they will bring back revised exhibits and additional detail to reflect completed items and newly‑confirmed costs so that the public hearing can proceed with up‑to‑date information.
