RELATED: Brakes may be put on Butler County garage automation
Proposals to automate the garage, making it more user friendly and allowing the ability to generate revenue from community events — ranging from $100,000 to $400,000 — were submitted several years ago. The commissioners paused the plan last year because it was too expensive, but will now revisit rates, automation and other aspects of the operation.
“I think it would be wise to just look at the whole garage operation,” County Administrator Judi Boyko said. “I think at some point you have to look at the market rates and are we charging at market, are we charging too low. I think we’d like to look at it comprehensively.”
Boyko estimated the return on investment could be three to five years. Commissioner T.C. Rogers who balked at the cost when the topic was last discussed, said he is willing to take another look.
“I think given consideration we’ll spend the money as long as we get it back,” Rogers said.
Commissioner Cindy Carpenter brought the issue up four years ago because she wanted to be able earn revenues from weekend and after-hours parkers.
“I’d like to capture the weekend and big fairs and that sort of thing when they close down High Street,” she said during budget hearings this week. “I’d love to capture that revenue.”
Former County Administrator Charlie Young said previously that weekend revenues would only be $5,000 to $7,000.
The county’s situation is unique in that there are multiple parking arrangements at the garage. People can pay $40 per month for a reserved, covered spot — spots on the open-air roof cost $30 — there are hourly and daily rates, and jurors, law enforcement, fire officials and some others park for free.
Facilities Manager Mark Gadd is now estimating the project at around $150,000.
“When they were first looking at automating the garage they were looking at a very high level of automation, with multiple kiosks where you could go and make your payments in multiple places, ” Gadd told the Journal-News. “The $150,000 would just be maybe one kiosk. So it’s a much more downsized version.”
Commissioner Don Dixon, who also opposed the more expensive system, said he’s willing to reconsider if the new estimate is accurate.
“At $150,000 that’s probably doable,” he said. “It probably makes sense to automate it.”
MORE: Retiring judge making new push for historic Butler County Courthouse renovations
Gadd presented a list of projects he knows need to be addressed at 13 county-owned buildings that total $3.6 million to the commissioners as part of his 2020 budget. He said he wanted to present the decision-makers with projects he knows require attention over the next five years.
“All we were trying to do was to get a list together as a starting point, to say okay looking at 2020 and beyond, we know that the buildings are aging and we would like to put together a capital plan,” Gadd said. “So for the first time in a really long time we’re taking the time and making the effort to identify capital projects for each of the buildings, depending on how they are received and if we receive approval there’ll be more costing done.”
The costliest building on the list is the Historic Courthouse with $1.3 million in projects including a new roof, elevator, fixing the Court Street side steps and repairing the exterior walls, among other items.
Boyko said for 2020 she has compiled a $3.3 million capital improvements list, which is up from the $2 million earmarked this year. She said about 63 percent of the 94 projects target buildings.
Carpenter said she is glad to hear the commissioners will be addressing the aging buildings.
“We go up to Moody’s for our rating and one of the things we had promised was we would invest a certain amount of money in our aging buildings. We get dinged for having aging buildings and not investing in them,” Carpenter said. “That is something that is very important for us to do. It’s a little bit worrisome to me, we want to keep our Aaa rating.”
About the Author