Supervisors direct staff to compile CIP requests as borrowing timeline tightens; auditor seeks $14,000 for office renovations

Michelle Scaff, Woodbury County auditor, asked the Board to reclassify previously allocated funds for two small office remodels and approve additional funding for the auditor’s office and conference room.

Scaff said $6,000 had been allocated in November 2023 from gaming funds for conference-room work that has not started and requested that the $6,000 be moved back into the CIP (capital improvement project) program and that an additional $14,000 be added to cover carpeting, painting, possible furniture and some network and electrical work in the auditor’s office and conference room. “So the request is to move the 6,000 from gaming to CIP and to, put an additional, 14,000 towards the project there to complete those 2 rooms in the auditor's office,” she said.

Board members approved Scaff’s request on a motion. “I'll move it,” one supervisor said; the motion was seconded and recorded as passing 5–0.

Scaff and County budget staff then reviewed the broader CIP and improvement-request process and described a large set of department requests that must be prioritized before the board finalizes borrowing and the tax levy. The county received about $3,747,145 in CIP requests this cycle, Scaff said, and noted departments can sometimes phase work across fiscal years. “The total amount of CIP dollars that has been requested is 3,747,145,” she said.

Woodbury County Treasurer Tina Bertrand and county budget staff discussed borrowing history and timing. Bertrand said CIP loans historically have been bid in May but that last year the schedule was changed and borrowing was done earlier; she confirmed the county borrowed $800,000 for FY24 CIP needs and that a $600,000 figure was being used for early planning in the current cycle. County staff told supervisors the FY25 borrowing plan may need to increase to cover newly surfaced projects, including the Law Enforcement Center demolition. At one point staff summarized the FY25 borrowing tally with the LEC included at about $1,720,000.

Scaff also listed five departments that submitted “improvement” requests affecting staffing. Those cover 18 employee changes in total, she said, and include: economic development (one clerk regraded), sheriff’s office (eight additional correctional officers), treasurer’s office (several clerk regrades), EMS (part-time position adjustments and one clerk regrade) and veterans affairs (one grade change). She said department heads will be invited to present CIP and improvement requests at next week’s meeting so supervisors can prioritize projects for borrowing.

Board members directed staff to enter the full set of projects and improvement requests into budget software and to bring department presentations to next week’s meeting. Some supervisors urged a “worst-case” (maximum) insertion into the levy-calculation step so the county can lower the levy later if needed but cannot raise it after publishing; others cautioned that borrowing should reflect projects planned to start, because including multi‑year projects could improperly inflate a tax notice.

On procedural issues staff noted Iowa Chapter 26 bid law and Department of Management guidance can affect procurement schedules and hearing requirements for CIP projects; board members agreed to follow up with the county treasurer and the county’s financial advisor, UMB, which was recently engaged to assist with debt planning.

The board voted to “receive” the CIP request list as an informational step so department heads can present next week; that motion also passed 5–0.