MONROE - A $25,000 study to help determine the future of the aging Government Services Building was approved at the Green County Board of Supervisors monthly meeting Tuesday, July 9.
All but one supervisor, Dennis Everson, voted to fund the study, to be conducted in two phases by Potter Lawson architects with assistance from Henneman Engineering.
Phase One is budgeted at $7,000 and involves an assessment and preliminary opinion of the building, which houses Green County Human Services and other county services. It is located at the Pleasant View Complex just northwest of Monroe off Wisconsin 81.
Phase Two, budgeted at $18,000, is expected to yield up to three in-depth building concept options.
"It isn't that the building is going to fall down immediately, but we need to look at its future," said Art Carter, board chair.
The building's failings were viscerally evident in the stuffy, warm room where supervisors met Tuesday evening after touring the facility. Among the problems are cracks in the outside walls, inefficient insulation, rain leakage, asbestos and noisy air-conditioning units.
Greg Holcomb, head of Human Services, said the AC units are sometimes so loud they drown out meetings between counselors and clients, but if the AC is turned off, confidentiality becomes an issue because the walls are so thin.
Everson was the only supervisor to vote against the study, suggesting the building be abandoned, but he wasn't the only one to voice reservations about the cost. Several questioned spending money on a new study and wondered if the county could work with data already available.
Supervisor Sue Disch said she was hesitant to approve the spending but ultimately concluded the in-depth information will be worth it "in order to prove to the public that we've done everything that we can."
The study will go back to the board for review after Phase One.
In other business at Tuesday's meeting, supervisors unanimously approved a three-year contract with contractor K2 IT Solutions, LLC, the company that provides support for the county's computers and software system, including 347 email addresses.
The contract is budgeted at $222,789 for 2014, $231,701 for 2015 and $236,335 for 2016.
Supervisors also heard the annual report from the Veteran's Services Department.
The estimated number of vets in Green County jumped about 600 to 2,620 in 2012, according to Clayton Ruegsegger, department head. The county didn't see a sudden influx of vets, he said, rather the higher number is the result of what he's told is more accurate federal reporting.
All but one supervisor, Dennis Everson, voted to fund the study, to be conducted in two phases by Potter Lawson architects with assistance from Henneman Engineering.
Phase One is budgeted at $7,000 and involves an assessment and preliminary opinion of the building, which houses Green County Human Services and other county services. It is located at the Pleasant View Complex just northwest of Monroe off Wisconsin 81.
Phase Two, budgeted at $18,000, is expected to yield up to three in-depth building concept options.
"It isn't that the building is going to fall down immediately, but we need to look at its future," said Art Carter, board chair.
The building's failings were viscerally evident in the stuffy, warm room where supervisors met Tuesday evening after touring the facility. Among the problems are cracks in the outside walls, inefficient insulation, rain leakage, asbestos and noisy air-conditioning units.
Greg Holcomb, head of Human Services, said the AC units are sometimes so loud they drown out meetings between counselors and clients, but if the AC is turned off, confidentiality becomes an issue because the walls are so thin.
Everson was the only supervisor to vote against the study, suggesting the building be abandoned, but he wasn't the only one to voice reservations about the cost. Several questioned spending money on a new study and wondered if the county could work with data already available.
Supervisor Sue Disch said she was hesitant to approve the spending but ultimately concluded the in-depth information will be worth it "in order to prove to the public that we've done everything that we can."
The study will go back to the board for review after Phase One.
In other business at Tuesday's meeting, supervisors unanimously approved a three-year contract with contractor K2 IT Solutions, LLC, the company that provides support for the county's computers and software system, including 347 email addresses.
The contract is budgeted at $222,789 for 2014, $231,701 for 2015 and $236,335 for 2016.
Supervisors also heard the annual report from the Veteran's Services Department.
The estimated number of vets in Green County jumped about 600 to 2,620 in 2012, according to Clayton Ruegsegger, department head. The county didn't see a sudden influx of vets, he said, rather the higher number is the result of what he's told is more accurate federal reporting.