Walla Walla County weighs energy upgrades, building sell-offs as maintenance costs rise

Walla Walla County commissioners heard a detailed review of the county—s facilities maintenance budget on Oct. 15 as staff pressed for capital investments to reduce rising utility and repair costs.

Rob Grandstaff, facilities director, said managers moved from a single umbrella line item to a building-by-building accounting method so the county can see which properties are driving cost increases. The change exposed large utility expenditures at older buildings and a spike in 2024 that staff tied to accessibility upgrades and other one-time projects.

"Last year we changed the number of fixtures in the old health department that reduced our water usage," Grandstaff said, noting past plumbing and appliance upgrades. He said the Old Health/Annex building is the county—s least efficient facility: "It feels too hot when it's hot and too cold when it's cold."

Commissioners and staff discussed three cost categories that drive the department—s request: staff, maintenance and repairs, and utilities. Grandstaff said the county is pursuing energy-efficiency projects and grant support. He described negotiations with Pacific Power & Light (PPL) to replace fluorescent fixtures with LED lighting and said PPL could subsidize roughly 40–48% of upfront costs through its partner contractors; the county would pay for labor and expect a four- to five-year payback period on some projects.

To better manage utilities, Grandstaff said the county is onboarding Johnson Controls/OpenBlue software to collect baseline usage data and identify priorities for capital work. "We're collecting the data, and then we can say, 'Okay, we can focus on this,'" he said. The county is also exploring a mechanical-engineer assessment of the courthouse HVAC and other measures to lower the jail—s utility costs.

Several commissioners questioned whether certain buildings should be divested. Commissioner Kimball said the Old Health/Annex building—s utility load (roughly $30,000–$37,000 annually) suggests "it might be cost prohibitive" to modernize and urged consideration of selling or relocating services. Grandstaff said a number of county functions, including community development and environmental health, are in the building now and acknowledged a future disposition discussion will be needed.

Grandstaff and commissioners also reviewed operational items: the county contracts snow removal for large lots while crews clear sidewalks; minor equipment and custodial tasks are limited by staffing; and the county uses a threshold ($2,500) for whether a repair is charged to building funds or current expense. Diane (county administrative staff) and Grandstaff said some revenue — for example from district court activity — offsets a portion of building expenses assigned to facilities.

The commissioners did not take formal action on specific capital projects at the meeting; they asked staff to continue developing estimates and pursue available grants and contractor proposals. Grandstaff said he would return with more detailed contractor bids and payback calculations when available.

The board adjourned the facilities discussion to other budget items after receiving the overview.