County Engineer Shae Kosmalski is ready to move ahead with site plans for a proposed multi-agency maintenance facility, but the county board isn’t so sure about the project.
Kosmalski spoke to the commissioners Tuesday, October 13, 2009, saying that the primary site for the proposed facility is the current highway garage property. She proposed that the six agencies interested in sharing a facility pay $8,500 for DSWG Architects to create a specific plan for how the space could be used. Cook County’s share could be over 50% of the total cost. Theother agencies are the City of Grand Marais, Cook County Schools (ISD 166), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), and Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency/ Arrowhead Transit (AEOA).
The space needs proposed by Kosmalski include Maintenance Department offices and garage space for vehicles now stored outside and used by employees outside the Highway Department. Commissioner Martinson believes the county’s anticipated share is “way too high” and said that if the Highway Department were the only county department to use space in the facility, its share could be reduced to 30%.
Kosmalski also asked for authorization to spend $3,000 on an energy audit of the current county garage, including an analysis of indoor air quality and the life expectancy of the building. A September 3 memo from Kosmalski to Commissioner Fritz Sobanja states that files are currently stored in the men’s restroom, sewer gas sometimes comes up through a vent in the women’s bathroom, and they are short on space for storage, drafting tables, and meetings.
“I don’t think we should move forward with this anymore,” Commissioner Jim Johnson said.
A memo to the board from Kosmalski two days later stated, “It’s common practice to start out with ‘wishlists’ in the preliminary stages and whittle down as needed during the actual design phase. …I recommend you consider at least moving forward and getting the energy audit done. Then we can quantify (or not) the cost issues of an old, inefficient facility, combined with the space and access issues I’ve identified.”
Kosmalski said sometimes agencies build with options for adding on, knowing that other agencies might want to join them later. At the very least, Kosmalski recommended sharing ownership in an automated truck wash and upgrading a 10-year-old fueling station. “Our mechanic estimates 30% of our maintenance results from inadequate cleaning,” her memo stated. “Our new plow trucks require a fuel we can’t stock – this means we pay retail costs rather than wholesale. …Right now we only have one truck needing this fuel, but with all our trucks fully depreciated and two on the list for replacement in 2010, these costs will escalate.”
The board discussed the proposed facility again at its October 20 meeting. Commissioner Fritz Sobanja pointed out that new windows, insulation, and furnaces were installed in the county garage a couple of years ago.
Commissioner Bob Fenwick stated that he knows a new building would be more energy efficient and spending money to be told that would be unnecessary. Kosmalski agreed to look back at how the upgrades have affected energy costs since building upgrades were done.
Commissioner Bruce Martinson said he believes the “wish list” is way more than the county needs. He asked county Maintenance Director Brian Silence what he thought the remaining useful life of the county garage is. Silence said that he did not know but that the building is structurally sound.
Commissioner Jim Johnson said he does not think going in with MnDOT, DNR, and AEOA would benefit the county and suggested dropping them from the project. “I think it should be reevaluated and trimmed down,” he said. He pointed out that some elements, such as the truck washing station, have a high potential for payback but said, “I’m very leery of going on with this larger plan.”
Commissioner Sobanja said City Administrator Mike Roth told him the city wants to find maintenance space outside the tourist park and will proceed with or without the county.
Commissioners Martinson and Sobanja will meet with Kosmalski the morning of October 30 to define the county’s needs more specifically.
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