Budget Hearing Meeting – Buildings and Grounds, October 1, 2026
Main Subject
The primary focus of the October 1, 2026 Buildings and Grounds budget hearing was a small operating office trying to finish at a $35,810 working total after a $30,000 communications cut that moved phones and IT out of this sheet, while the real money sits in separate capital pieces — $26,500 for Wetmore library split units, $5,200 for Road and Bridge block-heater posts, $2,150 for a courthouse breaker panel, $1,300 to wire a standby generator, and a $125,000 roof grant that still needs an engineer of record.
Summary
This was the Buildings and Grounds budget hearing on October 1, 2026. Finance walked a multi-year sheet with Matt and Howard in the room. No roll-call votes. No public comment. This is the local buildings office, not the $400,000 countywide hole and not the full courthouse roof project.
There are two money piles. The first is the Buildings and Grounds operating sheet. The working 2027 bottom line is $35,810. That number includes two salaries and benefits after the adjustments made in the room. The second pile is capital and project money that walked through the hearing but does not live inside that $35,810: the library split units, the Road and Bridge electrical work, the courthouse panel, the generator, and the roof grant. Mixing those piles is how a $35,000 office starts to look like a six-figure problem.
The operating lines were cleaned. Communications dropped by about $30,000 because cell phones and IT services are being redistributed — phones toward VoIP and IT costs toward John’s sheet. Operating supplies were over because items like trash bags were not spent; the excess is being moved to repairs and maintenance. Travel had $300; $100 of that moves to fuel and $200 moves to repairs. An extra $500 was requested for professional services so an electrician or locksmith can be hired without a budget amendment. Fuel is for the county vehicle and county cards. Travel is mileage on a personal vehicle.
The capital pieces are separate. Wetmore library split units are budgeted at $26,500 for next year in the 50 fund, with the option to do the work this year if cash is available. Road and Bridge block-heater posts are $5,200, including running electrical 75 yards from the building. Refurbishing and wiring the standby generator that came from the radio tower is $1,300. A new breaker panel upstairs at the courthouse is $2,150 and was discussed as possible capital because it is infrastructure. The roof grant request is $125,000, focused on the courtroom portion. An engineer of record is still required for design; prior bids exist but the companies are no longer local. Emergency-management generators for shelters were discussed as portable units because a fixed install is too expensive. A possible building acquisition for office space was named and not priced.
No motion closed the $35,810 operating total, the $26,500 library units, the electrical projects, or the roof grant. Next steps named were to prioritize the electrical work, keep the roof grant moving with an engineer, and continue the communications handoff to IT.
Key Points
Meeting
- Buildings and Grounds budget hearing, October 1, 2026.
- In the room: Matt, Howard, and finance.
- No roll-call votes. No public comment.
Two piles — do not mash them
- Buildings and Grounds operating bottom line: $35,810.
- That $35,810 includes two salaries and benefits after the room’s adjustments.
- Capital and project money discussed in the same hearing is not inside that $35,810.
- Mixing the piles is how a $35,000 office looks like a six-figure problem.
Operating sheet — the $35,810
- Communications cut by about $30,000. Cell phones and IT services are being redistributed (VoIP for phones, IT costs to John’s sheet).
- Operating supplies excess (items like trash bags not spent) is being moved to repairs and maintenance.
- Travel had $300. $100 moves to fuel. $200 moves to repairs and maintenance.
- Professional services: extra $500 requested for electricians or locksmiths.
- Fuel is county vehicle and county cards. Travel is personal-vehicle mileage.
- Phone lines are being managed toward VoIP without a hard cancellation.
Capital and projects — not in the $35,810
- Wetmore library split units: $26,500 budgeted for 2027 in the 50 fund. Option to do the work this year if cash is available.
- Road and Bridge block-heater posts: $5,200, including electrical run 75 yards from the building.
- Standby generator (from the radio tower): $1,300 to wire and refurbish at the Road and Bridge shop.
- Courthouse upstairs breaker panel: $2,150. Discussed as possible capital because it is infrastructure.
- Roof grant request: $125,000, focused on the courtroom portion. Engineer of record still required. Prior bids exist; companies are no longer local.
- Emergency-management generators for shelters: discussed as portable units. Fixed install called too expensive.
- Possible building acquisition for office space: named, not priced.
What was not decided
- No motion on the $35,810 operating total.
- No motion on the $26,500 library split units or whether to do them this year.
- No motion on the $5,200 block-heater posts, the $1,300 generator, or the $2,150 panel.
- No engineer selected and no roof contract awarded on the $125,000 grant.
- No price or decision on a building acquisition.
- Next steps named: prioritize the electrical projects, keep the roof grant moving with an engineer, and finish the communications handoff to IT.
Summarized Transcription
Finance put the Buildings and Grounds sheet on the table. The operating bottom line after the cuts is $35,810. That number covers two salaries and benefits. It does not cover the capital work that walked through the same room.
Communications dropped about $30,000 because phones and IT are leaving this sheet. Operating supplies were fat because trash bags and the like were not spent; the excess moves to repairs. Three hundred dollars in travel splits — $100 to fuel, $200 to repairs. Five hundred more goes to professional services so an electrician or locksmith does not require a budget amendment.
Then the projects. Wetmore library split units at $26,500. Block-heater posts at the Road and Bridge shop for $5,200, with 75 yards of wire. A standby generator from the radio tower for $1,300 to wire. A courthouse breaker panel upstairs for $2,150. A $125,000 roof grant still needs an engineer of record. Portable generators for shelters instead of a fixed install. A building for office space was named and not priced.
No vote on the $35,810. No vote on the capital list. The small office is trying to stay small. The roof grant and the electrical projects are not this sheet’s to carry alone.
