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Commissioners approve next step to study fairgrounds storage building; security, climate control and costs flagged
Summary
Commissioner Mike Arzee presented a proposal to build a county storage building at the fairgrounds to replace rented storage. Commissioners gave consensus to pursue engineering cost estimates; staff and others raised security and climate-control concerns for records and election equipment.
Commissioner Mike Arzee urged the Board of County Commissioners on March 17 to study construction of a county-owned storage building at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds as a long-term alternative to rented units.
Arzee said the structure would relieve recurring rental costs and provide consolidated storage for county records, equipment (including a radio-tower component currently stored offsite) and property tied to indigence cases. "The purpose of this is to try and help but not totally solve the storage situation that we actually have in the county," Arzee said, summarizing the proposal and explaining why the fairgrounds parcel was under consideration.
Why it matters: the county currently pays recurring rent for offsite storage and the proposal aims to reduce long-term costs while centralizing items county offices now store in multiple leased units.
Fairgrounds Director Kimber Solberg said the fair board approved an electronic sign and is evaluating other capital priorities; she reported the fair board is reviewing the Eaton Barn RFP and possible conversion to a four-season building and noted the fair board would want substantial input into any new building placed on fairgrounds property. Solberg described upcoming events and fair operations that would intersect with any new building plan.
Commissioners and staff discussed design choices and security requirements. County Commissioner and SheriffSheridan County Sheriff Levi Dominguez raised concern about storing district-court documents and other sensitive material at a public, frequently used site. "We get lots of events up at the county fairgrounds," Dominguez said. "The security aspect of it . . . concerns me as a law-enforcement perspective." He recommended gated, locked access for sensitive records.
County Clerk and Recorder Eda Shenton Thompson noted prior election-security requirements when the county built its own clerk office behind a bank and said voting machines and some election supplies require climate control and restricted access. "When we built our own building . . . we had to deal with Homeland Security, cameras, key fobs," Thompson said, urging officials to address access controls in planning.
Design tradeoffs were discussed in general terms: some commissioners favored concrete floors throughout to protect equipment and deter rodents, while Arzee suggested partial concrete to limit upfront costs. Commissioners said the fair board should be closely involved in design and access decisions. Several commissioners and staff recommended fencing, cameras and controlled entry if the building would hold court records or other sensitive materials.
Decision and next steps: commissioners did not adopt any construction contract or budget. By consensus they asked Arzee to advance the idea to the county engineering office for preliminary design and cost estimates, including costs for full versus partial concrete floors, fencing, gates, cameras and controlled access. Commissioners and staff noted any build would require city permits and additional review by the fair board and county departments before returning to the board for a funding decision.
Ending: The board took no formal vote to build but directed staff to gather engineering cost estimates and additional design options for a future public discussion.
