Lincoln County approves property purchases and inspection funds amid budget committee actions

Lincoln County commissioners approved a series of budget committee recommendations at their November meeting, including property acquisitions and scheduling for follow-up meetings.

The commission approved a recommendation to purchase a Park City-area parcel (the "right property") for $72,200; the transcript indicates the county's utilities board will make up the county's portion of a $100,000 total package.

The commission also discussed and moved forward on a pending purchase of 207 Elk Avenue South and an additional parking lot for $650,000. Finance staff reported the hospital board provided an asking price of $650,000 for both properties. Commissioners voted to recommend the purchase; because new information emerged, Commissioner Cunningham asked for a short recess for the purchasing group to review the details. The commission approved allocating up to $15,000 for inspections as part of due diligence prior to completing the transaction.

Commissioner Bryant summarized budget actions from the recent committee meeting, including a push to address starting pay for sheriff's deputies; the commission scheduled a joint personnel and budget meeting for Dec. 2 at 4:00 p.m., followed by the regular budget meeting at 5:00 p.m.

What happens next: staff will proceed with due diligence on the Elk Avenue property, using the approved inspection allocation, and return final purchase documents to the commission. The joint personnel/budget meeting will consider sheriff's stipends and starting pay comparisons.