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Facilities director outlines building needs, capital projects and maintenance budget
Summary
Facilities Director Casey Morris presented a long list of maintenance, repair and capital projects across county properties — including a proposed building at the poor farm, repairs at annex buildings, and parking and signage work for the Justice Center — and recommended a separate project review session.
Facilities Director Casey Morris presented the facilities budget and a prioritized list of improvements and repairs across county properties, saying many projects are driven by growth, deferred maintenance and new courthouse moves.
Morris provided a notebook of line‑item backup and described items he called “needs” (highlighted green) versus “wants.” He said departments were consulted and that he and budget staff identified items that could be funded by other sources (grants, ARPA or a facilities bond) to reduce general fund impact.
Why it matters: the facilities list includes life‑safety work, user‑facing improvements and infrastructure projects that affect county operations and the public — from awnings and window sealing at the Kaufman Annex to a proposed 60×60 (approximately) storage/workshop building at the poor farm and improvements at the showgrounds.
Notable projects and estimates - Poor farm / showgrounds: Morris proposed a 60×60 to 70×100 building (rough, ballpark cost included in his packet) to consolidate equipment and reduce scattered storage; he estimated an internal figure (overestimate) to ensure it is not overlooked in the capital plan. - Justice Center and Annex: concrete pad and enclosed dumpster area, signage/brick identifiers for visitor wayfinding, repair of concrete slab areas and improved security for county vehicles parked near the annex (fenced area, awnings, dog run for fire marshal K‑9). - Kaufman Annex repairs: wet sealing of exterior window/frames to stop recurring leaks, refurbishing stained flooring that followed water intrusion and replacing awnings in front of high‑traffic entrances. - Showgrounds and barns: equipment purchases and modest capital improvements; Morris proposed moving some improvements to the facilities bond or ARPA where eligible.
Operational items and staffing Morris also requested several personnel adjustments tied to operations: a full‑time custodian to support barns and the new courthouse, pay‑grade corrections for a clerk and for a janitorial lead, and job‑title changes for grounds technicians to meet CJIS access and fingerprinting requirements.
Quotes “We asked every department head what they wanted, what they needed, and … the ones that are highlighted in green, those are the ones I feel are a need,” Morris said.
Next steps Morris asked commissioners to schedule a separate, focused session on projects so staff can present phasing and scheduling. County budget staff said facilities will be included in follow‑up project reviews and that some items may be funded via bond proceeds or FEMA/ARPA grants where eligible.
Ending Commissioners and staff signaled support for a follow‑up workshop specifically on facilities projects and phasing before final budget adoption.
