County commissioners seek clearer lines for building maintenance budgets, add buildings to budget lists

Keith County commissioners and staff spent a lengthy portion of the meeting clarifying who pays for maintenance and repairs as shared office space at the county complex expanded. Road Department leadership and Building and Grounds staff said responsibilities are ambiguous when multiple departments occupy the same facility and when county-owned buildings host several programs.

Roads Superintendent and other staff said their restricted road budget has historically covered shop buildings, but recent additions of outside offices and county services at the road complex have created confusion about which budgets should fund interior repairs, HVAC, concrete repairs and other items. Staff said surprise bills have arrived in the road budget for work that building and grounds personnel performed while the county struggled to decide which department should be charged.

Commissioners asked staff to identify all county-owned buildings, add per-building line items into the coming budget cycle, and clarify whether impound and other shared facilities should remain together or be separated. Several commissioners favored keeping smaller road shops under the road fund and putting shared office areas under a building-and-grounds allocation identified by building.

Staff also requested authority to approve small maintenance purchases without repeatedly routing to departmental managers for every minor invoice. Commissioners said they were open to granting limited spending authority and asked staff to prepare proposed budget line items and an implementation plan before the next budget workshop.