Facilities director outlines master‑plan projects, asks board for early input on multipurpose rural buildings

Yavapai County facilities staff presented priorities emerging from the county’s Strategic Facilities Master Plan and asked the Board of Supervisors to engage early on design concepts for a proposed series of rural multipurpose buildings.

Brandon Schultz, director of facilities, reviewed a package of planned capital work including HVAC upgrades at Fair Street (funded with ARPA), a modular delivery for the medical examiner, security electronics and access control at the Camp Verde detention center, and the Community Health Services building remodel. Schultz said the county will use a design‑build approach in places to fix costs and reduce change orders.

The package also includes a proposal for a standardized multipurpose building to serve rural communities — a shared design that could be adapted to places such as Congress, Seligman and Black Canyon City. Schultz said his team will request four concepts from an architect and recommended the board give early feedback so the architect can deliver a single finalized design to take into construction.

Supervisors pressed for speed and lower costs: several members said they wanted a simple, durable design (block or metal shell with minimal TIs) that could be replicated rather than many expensive concepts. One supervisor asked for a study session focused on the Congress multipurpose building and the rural services master plan to gather stakeholder input (sheriff, constable, courts, towns).

Schultz said early concept work will cost money (he estimated $150,000–$200,000 for concepts in earlier planning) and committed to separating concept costs when he returns with a procurement plan.

Why it matters: County‑owned rural facilities affect service delivery, deputy response times and whether residents can access courts, library and health services locally. Providing a clear design direction can reduce design costs for multiple future buildings.