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Dunn County facilities staff outline energy, security and park maintenance plans
Summary
Facilities staff told the committee they are pursuing small operational savings, planning thermostat scheduling work, addressing vandalism at historic park structures, and considering low-cost solar security cameras to curb recurring damage. Staff also described recent chiller maintenance and Judicial Center hot-water improvements.
Dunn County facilities staff told the Facilities Committee on Aug. 13 that small operational changes and targeted investments could reduce costs and protect county assets, while crews continue repairs after vandalism at county parks.
Austin, the county's facilities and parks lead, said a recent procurement change on restroom air fresheners saved $936.48 and highlighted a broader initiative to review hundreds of thermostats across county buildings for after-hours setbacks. "When you plug a $100,000 budget into calculating 10% savings, 8% savings, let's say, to $10,000," Austin said when describing potential savings from better scheduling.
Why this matters: operational savings reduce pressure on county budgets and can free funds for maintenance. Staff also flagged recurring vandalism and unsafe park use that increase repair costs and liability.
Operations and maintenance updates: staff reported quarterly chiller maintenance and improvements to hot-water availability at the Judicial Center after turnover in maintenance personnel. Austin said shadowing a specialized chiller contractor taught technicians balancing and pH control techniques that improve cooling efficiency.
Security and vandalism: staff described significant vandalism at historic structures in County Woodlawn (reported as broken century-old glass panes) and other park sites where graffiti and defecation occurred in restroom facilities. Austin said crews boarded broken windows and proposed installing cellular, solar-powered security cameras at roughly $125 each plus signage as a deterrent. He estimated one incident of damage at about $5,000 and said cameras and signage could reduce repeat incidents.
Parks maintenance and access concerns: staff visited Zealey Park, Russian Slough and other county parks to assess grass cutting, overgrowth, and potholes in access drives. They scheduled repairs and mowing to show presence and deter misuse. Committee members described gate-breach issues at the fairgrounds, where temporary snow fence was repeatedly torn down and allowed unpaid entries; staff and the fair coordinator discussed options including more permanent access control or wristbands.
Thermostats and building controls: Austin explained the Government Center's thermostats are monitored only and not centrally controlled; other buildings such as the Judicial Center have older systems with partial remote control. Staff plan a phased approach to lock down schedules where feasible without restricting legitimate after-hours use of conference rooms.
Next steps: staff will continue a building-by-building assessment of thermostats and controls, move forward with targeted maintenance and park repairs, pilot security cameras at vulnerable sites, and present cost estimates and program requests as needed in the autumn budget process.
Ending: committee members thanked operations staff for rapid repairs and asked staff to follow up with specific cost estimates for cameras and longer-term thermostat controls.
