Committee seeks department action on archive warehouse clutter, questions GovDeals inventory timing

Committee members on June 2 reviewed photographs and an inventory showing extensive departmental storage in the county’s archive warehouse and asked department heads to reclaim property or risk county consolidation or disposal. Staff said the archive warehouse houses roughly 6,440 square feet of space and that multiple departments — courts, mayor’s office, elections, tax assessor, maintenance and others — occupy framed bullpens and shelving within the building.

Members expressed concern that some departments have left filing cabinets, equipment and boxes in the warehouse for many years. The committee asked staff to contact department heads to retrieve items or to document reasons for retention. A commissioner said the courts alone occupy about 2,133 square feet of the warehouse with roughly 230 filing cabinets and urged immediate coordination so items that can properly be moved to courthouse space are relocated. The committee also discussed an inventory report the mayor’s office provided that same afternoon and asked the mayor’s office to confirm whether items were already discarded and whether the listing was posted on GovDeals or surplus listings.

No disciplinary or disposal actions were taken at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to notify departments and give them time to reclaim property and said maintenance and other staff could assist in consolidation. Members stressed that retained documents and equipment should be handled consistent with records retention policy and sensitive records protocols.