Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the BOT Project topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plan‑commission member alleges BOT facility shortfalls and taxpayer overages; council seeks documents
Summary
At the Feb. 2 meeting a Washington County Plan Commission member, Lucy Brenton, alleged significant omissions and scope shortfalls in a BOT agreement for a county facility, claiming missing exhibits and construction deviations that could shift costs to taxpayers; commissioners disputed the claims and said change orders exist.
Lucy Brenton, a member of the Washington County Plan Commission, told the joint Council‑Commissioners meeting that she reviewed the BOT (Build‑Operate‑Transfer) contract packet and found key exhibits missing when the agreement was signed in August 2023.
"He signed an agreement without the exhibits that would support the responsibilities of the developer," Brenton said, adding that Exhibit A (site plan) was blank and that the recorded agreement now shows 7.5 acres while the project plan called for 8.5 acres. She walked the council through several line items she says were shorted or increased after the fact — for example, two missing air handlers she valued at $7,500 and large increases in erosion‑control and pad work — and said the developer later offered 19.5 acres near the airport in lieu of paying overages.
Brenton asked who signs checks for payments and whether the county would be left to service any loan used to build the facility: "I'm wondering if that loan is gonna exist and still be in effect on the backs of my grandchildren as taxpayers," she said. She also said she will submit a spreadsheet and written questions for the record and asked for the packet presented at the meeting to be added to the public record.
Commissioners and several council members disputed Brenton's characterization. One commissioner said the project includes change orders and that change orders amount to roughly 1.33% of the budget, maintaining the project remains within budget. Council members pressed for documentation and asked staff and the commissioners to provide the missing exhibits and a clear accounting of payments and change orders.
The meeting record shows disagreement but no conclusive resolution; staff invited Brenton to submit her written questions and said the documents distributed in the meeting would be included in the public record. Council members said they expected commissioners and staff to follow up with specific documentation and answers at future meetings or in writing.
