$11.8M in capital improvement requests include cybersecurity upgrades, sheriff’s vehicles and more

This is the breakdown of the major categories:

In previous years, the commissioners budgeted about $2 million for capital improvements but it was rarely fully spent. In 2020 they approved around $1 million for capital projects. Last year the budget was $4 million and they spent about $3.8 million.

“This investment has substantially moved the needle in addressing facility, building, and business operations,” Boyko told the Journal-News. “I’m tooling with several models to report return on investment for the financial commitment the board has made to capital investment.”

Historically the commissioners have approved capital projects one at a time and never adopted them as a formal plan. Commissioners Don Dixon and T.C. Rogers said they agree with all 67 projects Boyko has recommended for the $5 million capital budget. Commissioner Cindy Carpenter said she wants a work session so she can find out more about the projects.

After many years of having to defer projects because of financial concerns, Dixon said the money invested recently “brings them up a notch or two” in terms of the condition of their assets.

“I don’t think you’re ever in great shape with I-T as fast as that technology changes, it’s mind boggling,” Dixon told the Journal-News. “But it puts us in a safe zone, our buildings are okay, none of them are in danger of being condemned or falling down, they’re in pretty decent shape. They do need some here and there but all and all we’ve got pretty office and building stock, this’ll bring it up a notch or two.”

The biggest ticket item is $1.3 million for phase 2 of the Butler County Historic Courthouse restoration project, both of the first two phases of the $4.6 million project should at least begin this year. The commissioners approved a $1.65 million — including contingencies — contract with NR Lee Construction in January to replace the roofing systems, namely the slate roof and adjoining gutter systems and the flat roofs and repairs to plumbing and the chimney.

Chris Hacker, the county’s asset, procurement and projects director, said the work hasn’t started outside yet due to the massive COVID-19-driven supply chain issues.

“The slate tile for the roof is not in yet, it’s everything right now, wait times are just so long,” Hacker said adding people will hopefully see scaffolding arising next month.

The county spent $75,000 of the capital improvement budget last year for an architect to draw up plans to restore the 132-year-old courthouse in downtown Hamilton. The project to make critical repairs to the courthouse was to be phased over three years, but the first phase and hopefully parts of Phase 2 should be done this year.

“It could be started this year,” Hacker said. “The nice thing about the phase 2 as it was proposed is there is more interior work that could be done through the winter. Whereas this one is almost exclusively roof and outside.”

The county paid $18,500 two years ago to do a comprehensive study on what is needed to shore up the iconic structure. The plan recommended spending about $1.5 million over three years for the following:

Carpenter told the Journal-News she wishes they had committed to spending more on the landmark.

“Unless we pony up and do more than one project at a time we’re not going to get the 140-150 year old courthouse done,” Carpenter said. “It can’t be like we’ve got a new property and we’re just repairing things as we go along, that’s not the type of building that it is.”

Another big project that will likely take years worth of capital improvement funds is the massive space utilization study. The value of all of the county’s buildings total more than $477 million and Dixon has estimated 10% to 15% of the county’s space could be eliminated by consolidating offices and making other strategic moves.

The commissioners put the project out for bid last summer and Boyko said the commissioners could approve a contract in the next couple weeks. She penciled $145,000 in the capital plan for the study. Whatever recommendations might come out of the study will likely take capital funds to accomplish.

Aside from the capital funding the commissioners have nearly $75 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money to spend.

The commissioners reached out countywide asking people to submit ideas for spending the money. They held work sessions with many of the officials from other governments, social service agencies and others who are seeking a total of $143.7 million.

The commissioners haven’t made any decisions yet but Boyko is recommending they spend $3.1 million of that money for several projects. If the commissioners agree, $1.5 million could be spent on replacing the rutted road that leads to the Juvenile Justice Center and Developmental Disabilities building off Fair Avenue in Hamilton. Boyko earmarked another $1 million to fix the damaged roads at the county fairgrounds.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Butler County Emergency Management Agency and three health departments have been using the fairgrounds to host drive-thru COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics. It has also served as a distribution site for all kinds of personal protection equipment.

Originally EMA Director Matt Haverkos asked the commissioners for $2 million in special federal Community Development Block Grant dollars targeted for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The commissioners have discussed but not funded the project yet.

The final allocation is about $650,000 to make various repairs to the jail. Carpenter balked at spending ARPA funds on these projects.

“It is a strategy to use the ARPA funds as a slush fund to pay for what are obviously county operational costs,” Carpenter said. “To do that in the face of recovering communities from the pandemic is outrageous and I’m going to fight against it.”

All three commissioners told the Journal-News they are ready for a work session to hash out how to spend the windfall.