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Boards discuss shared use of old EVV building; county to retain deed and assume inside maintenance while schools keep access
Summary
County and school officials discussed use, maintenance and utilities for the old EVV building; the county will retain the deed and assume interior maintenance and the boards agreed to a written shared‑use agreement and to sort out utility billing and partitioning before occupants move in.
Northumberland County and the School Board spent part of the June 17 joint meeting discussing how to use the old EVV building to house county and school staff and shared meetings.
Officials confirmed the county holds the deed and reviewed a history of federal grant funds previously applied to school facility work. Board members discussed space needs, noting the building can be partitioned to provide offices and secure records storage; school leaders said several school‑specific functions — including special‑education maintenance‑of‑effort filings and secure HR files — require an on‑site liaison or secured office space.
School finance specialist Shannon Obier described the workload facing the two existing finance staff and urged that positions not be left understaffed during any transition: “We want to continue to be employees of the school system, but we are also open to working with the county,” she told the joint session, outlining payroll, benefits and HR duties the office handles day to day.
Board members debated utility payments and building upkeep. At one point a supervisor suggested splitting utility costs by occupancy; other members said it would simplify administration if the county paid utilities and then billed the school division a negotiated share or left the expense in the county’s operating costs. The boards asked staff to draft a written shared‑use agreement that specifies responsibility for interior repairs, security and access, and to conduct a walk‑through with school administrators to map out partitions, secure HR space and conference‑room needs.
Supervisors also noted parking and shared meeting‑room access would remain available to both boards and the public; they asked the county administrator to provide a single proposed written agreement and an estimate of expected renovation costs before bringing a final recommendation back to both boards.
