Commissioners approve $300,000 transfer to courthouse renovation fund to pay 2025 planning costs

County Manager Tim Bergman told the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on March 20 that the board should transfer money already budgeted to begin paying planning and consultant bills for the courthouse renovation.

The county unanimously approved a motion to transfer $300,000 from the $5,000,000 general fund reserve into the courthouse renovation fund to cover 2025 planning and consultant invoices.

Tim Bergman, county manager, said the county previously set aside $5 million from an $8 million Certificate of Participation financing package and that the funds had been held in investments while the project advanced. "So the request before you today, is to for the board to approve a transfer of $1,000,000 from the $5,000,000 set aside to the courthouse renovation fund," Bergman said, describing the board’s initial request and the staff recommendation to begin moving money into the project fund to pay architect and owner-rep bills.

Nut graf: The transfer provides operating cash for design and owner-representative work this year, allowing the county to pay outstanding invoices and to fund consultant work while the county issues an RFP for an architect of record and moves toward construction documents.

Bergman told commissioners the $8 million Certificate of Participation (COP) and the $5 million in reserves remain invested and have earned roughly $58,000 in interest since December. He outlined near-term costs: DPM (owner's representative) estimated about $75,000 for 2025, MWL Architects estimated about $175,000, and the architect-of-record work to reach construction documents was estimated on the higher end at about $800,000. Bergman said there were already invoices from MWL and DPM totaling about $30,000 that staff had been holding until an appropriation was approved.

Commissioners debated whether to transfer a larger amount (the staff presentation referenced an initial $1,000,000 request) or a smaller drawdown and whether to handle future needs through supplemental appropriations. One commissioner moved to approve a $300,000 transfer from the general fund reserve; another commissioner seconded the motion. The board then voted "Aye" three times and the motion passed unanimously.

Discussion at the meeting also covered grant constraints and payment timing: Bergman said an underfunded court security grant of $500,000 exists but is a reimbursement grant that covers only specified parts of the project and requires the county to pay invoices upfront and then seek reimbursement. He also recommended the board name a representative to an executive committee that will meet monthly to oversee the project and keep the full board apprised quarterly.

The board did not adopt the larger $1,000,000 appropriation recommended in the initial presentation; instead it approved the $300,000 transfer and left the option open for staff to return for supplemental appropriations as invoices arrive.

Ending: The transfer was approved as a single motion at the March 20 special meeting. Staff said the RFP for the architect of record will be released in coming weeks, an executive committee will be named to monitor the project, and additional supplemental funding requests will return to the board as needed.