Linn County board preliminarily approves $1.48 million FY27 board‑buildings budget

Linn County’s Board of Supervisors on Friday preliminarily approved the fiscal year 2027 budget for board buildings, authorizing $1,483,991 in appropriations and projecting $68,400 in building‑related revenue. The motion passed after a presentation and discussion of utility usage, maintenance needs and a new facilities KPI.

Finance Director Dawn Jundrich told the board the buildings budget covers utilities — gas, electric and water — and major maintenance items that do not rise to the level of capital projects. She said the proposal stays within guidelines (referenced in the transcript as “43002 71”) and that a significant driver of the change is lower natural‑gas costs tied to usage. “So this budget is just utilities,” Jundrich said, summarizing the scope.

Jundrich noted the county had collected about $99,968 this year from the EMA building on Highway 13 but does not expect EMA to relocate all equipment to Highway 13 in the foreseeable future. The FY27 revenue estimate for the EMA site, she said, is based on a monthly payment of $5,700, annualized to $68,400.

Facilities Director Luke Fisher attributed a roughly 20% natural‑gas savings (quoted in the presentation as $69,001.42) largely to lower actual usage compared with previous years. Fisher said the county has a fixed‑rate contract with Wood River Energy that covers eight of the county’s largest buildings through November 2028 and that he will review pricing next summer. “That contract covers 8 buildings,” Fisher said, noting the fixed‑rate coverage and plans to reassess rates in summer.

The budget includes an increase in major maintenance from $100,000 to $125,000 to address unavoidable equipment and repair needs, while overall the request remained described as being under board guidelines by approximately $43,000. The presentation also called out an 8% increase in water usage and a 6% increase in city water rates, and a $1,500 increment tied to winter overflow shelter shower and water use.

Board members praised facilities staff for pursuing efficiencies and raised the potential for pursuing federal grants and rebates for energy improvements. One board member suggested the county could shift some contractor costs to contractors in future projects to reduce county outlays.

Supervisor Sheets moved to preliminarily approve the FY27 board buildings budget, specifying "total appropriations of 1,483,991 and revenues of 68,400 for board buildings." The motion received a second and was approved on an aye vote; the chair declared the motion carried.

Fisher also proposed a new key performance indicator to be added to the budget: adoption of B3 benchmarking software to track energy cost per square foot across about 750,000 square feet of county buildings. Fisher said the county’s current averaged energy cost is about $1.46 per square foot and that the KPI would aim to limit annual increases near a 3% target and identify high‑use buildings for targeted action. “With this tool, it’s just an opportunity to run those results and…see where we’re at,” Fisher said.

The public comment period produced no substantive remarks on county business. With no further business, the board adjourned.

The vote provided preliminary approval; the transcript does not record a final adoption or subsequent implementation timetable for the budget or KPI.