During Monday’s meeting, the Custer County Board of Commissioners discussed issues regarding the roof on the Custer County Law Enforcement Center and the long-term possibilities with the law enforcement center trust funds.
Bill McCourry with ARMKO Industries discussed the options for the roof.
“I have looked at your jail (roof), and it probably is toward the end of its life,” McCourry said. “It’s starting to ‘cook out’ and the company who made the material no longer is in business.”
He said the county could “keep throwing money” at the roof or begin the process of replacing it.
If the county decides to go with ARMKO for the roof replacement project, the company would take care of everything, including drawing up the specifications, taking the project out to bid and ensuring everything is billed correctly. They also would serve as the construction managers for the project.
“While the project is in progress, we will show up occasionally to make sure the contractors install what is specified,” McCourry said.
McCourry said his company also will deal with the insurance to ensure clients get what they need, even going so far as to litigate the situation.
ARMKO charges 5.5 percent of the final bid price.
District 3 Commissioner Lyle Miller and District 2 Commissioner Brice Walker said they each have been advised by two different roofing companies the best option at this point would be to replace the jail roof. Miller also said, like the window project, they do not have the time or the expertise to deal with the situation, so they need someone who can completely oversee the project and report back to the board.
Walker inquired whether there was a retainer charge or if they needed to have bids out by a certain date.
McCourry said there is no retainer charge and bids do not have to be out by a certain date. However, he did say with the current price trends for construction materials, it would be best to do it as soon as possible. Material availability also is a concern.
The board took no action on this item during this meeting. However, ARMKO would send an agreement to be discussed during Tuesday’s law enforcement center trust meeting.
Also during this meeting, the board discussed the law enforcement center trust funds with Jacob Stewart from Edward Jones. The Custer County Law Enforcement Trust funds come from a portion of the county half-cent sales tax, and the principal has a low rate of return.
The board is looking for options to make it more sustainable financially and avoid breaking the principal.
County Treasury Janet Roulet said the trust has not needed to pay for any “big ticket” items in the last several years. However, the trust principal is generating less money than it takes to pay for the utilities, which currently are being paid out of a different account.
Currently, jail trust funds mostly are used for maintenance and repairs to the building which can be costly, especially with a roof replacement project in the works.
“It is my understanding and opinion a portion of this money would need to be kept very liquid for access purposes,” Stewart said, referencing the roof project.
Stewart also said he met with the commissioners individually to present different portfolio options for them to discuss.
District 1 Commissioner Wade Anders said he has concerns about whether the funds could be withdrawn when needed. Stewart said they would be able to that.
The board took no action on this item during the meeting. However, it will be added to the agenda for the Tuesday jail trust meeting.