Facilities staff presented a revised submission of the county’s 2026 five‑year plan, showing multiple projects moved later in the schedule to reduce near‑term outlays. Staff said the facilities fund is primarily supported by real‑estate excise tax revenue and that recent changes allowed more flexibility to use the balance for maintenance items.

"We made an assumption that the general fund's gonna be needing those dollars for quite some time," facilities staff said while walking the board through items removed or delayed, including roof and HVAC projects that were moved to 2030 or later.

Board members pressed staff on the pace of deferred maintenance and whether the county should fund repairs now or spread costs over time. One commissioner said the county should not "kick the can down the road" on repairs and urged taking responsibility for necessary fixes; another suggested using a long‑term debt option (for example, a 20‑year loan or bond issuance) to spread the payments for large projects such as the juvenile facility roof and major HVAC replacements.

Facilities and legal staff explained procurement constraints under state law (RCW) that typically require the lowest responsive bidder for public‑works projects unless the contractor is debarred or the county substantially changes specifications. Staff said partnering with state procurement frameworks (design‑bid‑build through a state agency) is one alternative that allows evaluation beyond price for complex projects such as the Hall of Justice.

Staff asked whether the board wanted to pause the proposed $1 million transfer from the general fund to facilities while they revisit the juvenile roof and other large items. Commissioners agreed it would be reasonable to leave the transfer in place for the 2026 budget cycle and address changes in 2026 through amendment or to consider moving projects into 2027; staff warned that pausing the transfer could increase the county’s debt issuance needs for projects planned in 2026.

Staff committed to return with detailed cost estimates, clearer prioritization, and recommendations on whether to pursue debt financing, retain deferred maintenance in the plan, or reallocate projects across 2026 and 2027.