Public hearing set for $6.4M in county building upgrades

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing July 23 to get public comment on a $6.4 million purchase agreement for renovations and equipment for county buildings, in particular 197 S. Main St.

The purchases totaling $5.3 million in principal and $1.1 million interest will be financed by bonds.

The completion of the century-old building across the street from the county administration headquarters, which itself is housed in a former bank, is scheduled for this fiscal year, which began Sunday.

Gil Villegas, county chief financial officer, said Tuesday the renovations will be the largest of 11 items included in the package, at $1.75 million of financing. This will add a new Board of Supervisors auditorium and new offices, as well as a rebuilt parking lot behind it.

The project was broken up into two phases, and some employees who moved in beginning in fall 2016 reported respiratory illnesses thought to be related to the unfinished building, along with other issues.

In response the county made some interim improvements to seal off the used and unused portions from each other, and put the final construction into this year’s budget, where before there had been no timeline.

Construction of the first phase of the building was financed by similar excise tax-backed bonds are being pursued for this project.

The 10 other projects included in the plan include fire alarm systems, surveillance cameras, specialized equipment and software integration upgrades for other county-used buildings.

A detailed analysis of the projects and the financing plan will be provided at the hearing.

Members of the public who can’t attend the hearing can submit comments through the public notices section of the county website or by sending them to Susan Thorpe, Clerk of the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, 198 South Main Street, Yuma, Arizona 85364.