Supervisors challenged by facility management

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, April 26, 2006

County supervisors agreed Friday to sole oversight of theLincoln County Multi-Use Facility, but did not determine how theywould manage it.

Supervisors spent several hours after taking oversight of thefacility discussing its management, but could not decide betweenhiring a manager that would answer to supervisors or the creationof an independent county parks commission.

Supervisors also stalled on naming an interim manager of thefacility until permanent management could be determined. The boardagreed to operate the facility temporarily until the issue could beresolved.

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Supervisors at first suggested hiring a manager that wouldreport directly to the board.

“I think we need to hire someone to run it and one, or maybetwo, people under them to maintain it,” said Board President GaryWalker.

However, they each said they did want to be overly involved inits management. Supervisors were also concerned that if they haddirect oversight, politics may interfere as constituents mayattempt to influence supervisors when event conflicts or otherproblems develop.

County Attorney Bob Allen said an alternative would be to createa county parks commission to run the facility. The five-memberboard would be appointed by supervisors, who would also set itsbudget, but supervisors would otherwise have no control of itsoperations.

Walker asked if that meant he could not help the facility as hehad in the past by removing manure or conducting other tasks countyworkers are capable of performing.

“You can help if they ask. What you can’t do is determine whothey make contracts with, the bylaws they set, or make any type ofmanagement decision,” Allen said.

Fees for usage of the facility would also be determined by theparks commission, who would be tasked with making the facility payfor itself, Allen said.

Management will be important in attempts to make the facilitypay for itself, said County Administrator David Fields. Heestimated the Multi-Use Facility will cost $150,000 a year inadditional costs to the county, not including the payments to thecity and some needed repairs to the roof and plumbing.

However, those figures did not include what would be offset byusage fees, he said.

Supervisors have said that once management has been determinedthey want to reevaluate those fees, which have not changed sincethe facility first opened eight years ago.

Supervisors are reluctant to create an independent board.Several cited the failure of the unit system, which had independentroad managers, for their concern.

After lengthy discussion, District Four Supervisor Doug Moaksuggested supervisors should appoint someone to operate thefacility after May 15 until the board could determine futurepermanent management.

The board went into executive discussion to determine possiblecandidates for the temporary position and emerged about a halflater with an announcement that they would operate thefacility.