County decides against ag services building construction

Construction costs may impede efforts to keep Rock County ag service agencies under one roof.
Costs were projected at over $1 million for the county to construct a facility that would keep the Rock County Land Management Office, Rock County Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service together in one facility.
County Administrator Kyle Oldre reported the building costs at the June 7 commissioners meeting. Oldre said he worked with three construction experts who reviewed the USDA’s 154-page building request proposal.
“It would cost $1.4 million to build a 5,500-square-foot, stand-alone building,” Oldre said. “And that does not include the lot.”
The county had until June 9 to submit a building proposal to USDA.
Earlier this year county officials met with representatives from the USDA and NRCS. Local officials explained that the three agencies’ current co-location on Gabrielson Road is ideal for producers and landowners who do business with all three agencies.
Federal officials, however, ranked the current facility low on its ideal facility standards scale.
At that meeting, federal officials encouraged the county to submit its own building proposal that would meet the USDA high standard.
If the county were awarded the bid to build such a facility, USDA would consider a long-term lease of 2,900 square feet within the building.
After the March meeting, commissioners instructed Oldre to look into building a county-owned facility that would meet USDA standards and house all three agencies.
However, to afford such a building, the county would have to borrow the money.
For taxpayers a $1.4 million building would require a one-time 20 percent levy increase or a 2 percent increase per year for the next 10 years.
“It seems like a lot of money for convenience,” said Commissioner Jody Reisch.
A third party has proposed constructing a new building that meets USDA’s standards on Gabrielson Road, within a half block of the current ag services building.
“From a producer’s standpoint, it’s close,” Oldre said.
 
In other business, commissioners:
•Set the Board of Equalization hearing for 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 21.
•Changed the time of the June 21 meeting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The commissioners will conduct their annual county tour prior to the June 21 meeting.
•Moved the Tuesday, Aug. 2, meeting to Thursday, Aug. 4