Davis County outlines 2026 facilities capital requests, prioritizing library work and campus upgrades

At a Sept. 3 meeting of the Davis County Budget Committee in Farmington, facilities manager Lane Rose presented the county's proposed capital projects for fiscal 2026, highlighting library repairs and feasibility studies, a $50,000 landscaping request, schematic design work for the county animal-care facility, and parking and restroom upgrades at county recreation sites.

Lane Rose told the committee, "We do our building annual building audits and walk throughs, sit down with the departments, go through all the buildings. A lot of the capital items and requests come come from these meetings that we do in June and July." The presentation was informational; committee members discussed priorities but did not take a formal vote on project funding at the meeting.

The most detailed items discussed were for the county library system. Rose described a proposed repair to the Layton Library fireplace: facilities received a quote of about $50,000 to replace the existing gas fireplace, and an alternative to install an electric insert and re-tile the surround would cost far less. Rose said the fireplace is an architectural focal point and a frequent photo spot, and recommended examining options before removing it. Rose also described a proposed feasibility study to evaluate possible interior and exterior remodels at Layton and Centerville libraries to determine what changes are possible and how much a remodel could cost.

Rose said the facilities team will request $50,000 next year to replace aging and dying landscaping across seven libraries and to establish a Davis County standard plant palette intended to reduce water and maintenance needs. He described the palette as a short list of trees and shrubs chosen for local climate, salt tolerance and low maintenance.

On health department facilities, Rose said the county has acquired two residential properties and a service-station parcel to create a new administration building and associated parking; the county expects to take possession in October and already has an architect drafting plans. He noted tenant and utility costs and basic security and fire-inspection needs will create ongoing expenses even if the building is not staffed daily. Rose said Code Blue services are slated to operate in the new space beginning this fall.

Facilities staff asked the committee to consider replacing three aging ice-and-water machines in the administrative building; Rose said replacement units cost about $6,000 each and that the three-unit replacement would be roughly $18,000. Committee members discussed prioritizing which floor receives new machines.

Other projects discussed: - Animal-care facility: schematic design is about 50% complete and Rose said next year the county will need funds to continue design and coordinate a road and fencing project tied to that site. - Valley View Golf Course: staff completed full design for a parking-lot realignment and expect bids this fall; Rose estimated the project could be in the $400,000 to $600,000 range and said additional funds will be requested when bids are complete. - Davis Park restrooms: staff proposed full tile and fixture upgrades to address water damage and failing finishes. - Conference-center and other lighting upgrades: Rose said the county has used an energy-block grant previously (which funded about $250,000 at the conference center) and staff will pursue LED conversion grants where possible to reduce energy and maintenance costs. - Fleet and public-works storage: a lean-to equipment cover and security improvements were proposed to protect equipment at a busy maintenance yard and to allow safer construction staging while a road project proceeds.

Staff also updated the committee on electric-vehicle charging stations. Rose said the busiest chargers generated an unexpectedly high electrical bill last year (he cited a roughly $12,000 charge that contributed to an over-budget condition in the county's electrical account). He said the county is now passing a new 12.5% state surcharge on EV charging through its vendor relationship and that staff will review rates to ensure the stations remain financially viable.

Rose noted miscellaneous upkeep matters around the main administrative campus, including flooring, carpet tiles and a continuing punch list to finish a recently replaced rock facade. He emphasized that most items discussed were prioritization and planning steps and that the committee would see specific funding requests in the formal 2026 budget package.

The committee approved minutes from the June 30, 2025 meeting at the start of the session; that approval was recorded as a routine procedural action.

Commissioners and staff asked follow-up questions about cost estimates, ongoing maintenance liabilities and opportunities to use grant funds for energy-related upgrades. Several members encouraged staff to pursue low-cost options where possible and to bring prioritized, line-item requests back during the formal budget hearings.

Ending: Rose said staff will refine cost estimates and bring detailed project requests and bids to the committee during the regular budget cycle; no final capital appropriations were decided at the Sept. 3 meeting.