It was not without hesitation that the Murray County Commissioners approved a facility planning study Tuesday that will cost the county just under $39,000 for the first phase, but each one admitted the county had been lacking such a plan for years.
Facilities Director Nathan Wurpts said the county has been discussing the need for a comprehensive review of existing facilities and long-term needs.
“There is no single plan to help guide us,” he stated.
In the past years, both the Building Committee and the commissioners have had several discussions regarding space and needs. Since the changes at the recycling center more than a year ago and the addition of the new highway department facility, talks regarding how to make the best use of space available with minimal expense have come up regularly and have included storage, security and office space needs.
“We have these things we have to do,” said Board Chair Mark Carlson, adding that a study would get them expert opinions on what to tackle and in what order. Both he and Commissioner Dennis Welgraven pointed out instances when a project had been completed, then a change in law or circumstances had the county re-doing or backtracking that same project.
“Mistakes have been made in the past,” Welgraven admitted.
The study, which will be completed by Contegrity Group, would include the Courts building, Government Center, Law Enforcement Center, Recycling, ACE Building and other county storage and facility needs, and hopefully offer the ability for the county to be proactive with building decisions, rather than reactive to problems that come up.
A fear expressed by Commissioner Loy Woelber was that the study would produce expectations of costly renovations.
Commissioner Roger Zins said he shared Woelber’s concerns.
“Big ideas come with a big bill we can’t afford,” he stated.
“That’s a lot of money for someone else’s opinion,” Woelber added.
Wurpts said the quote for the study came in at about the ballpark figure he expected, and that the results would help the county prioritize needs and wants.
“As a member of the (Building) committee, I feel like I need professional guidance to make good decisions on this,” Carlson stated.
Although reluctant at first to embrace the idea, it was Woelber who made the motion to move forward with the study, with a second from Welgraven. The motion passed unanimously.
In other county business, the commissioners heard a County Road Safety Plan, which is being done at the state level in all 87 Minnesota counties.
The commissioners, at the request of the City of Slayton, declined to participate in a tax abatement for the 34th street reconstruction project. The City of Slayton will get a longer term on GO bonds with the county declining.
Commissioners chose a date of September 15 for a staff grill/picnic, which will be paid for with Wellness Committee funds. A discussion regarding the salaries of elected officials was once again tabled pending comparison information from other counties and organizations.
