Thurston Commission votes to set aside funding for 2 major property expansions
A plan to significantly expand Thurston County government facilities took another step forward on Tuesday with a 2-1 vote by the Board of County Commissioners.
The board approved adding two major property expansions to the Capital Improvement Program in the county’s Comprehensive Plan. It also allocated placeholder funding for both projects by approving an unusually large budget amendment.
The more expensive expansion involves a seven-year lease of the 90,000-square-foot Atrium building at 3000 Pacific Ave. in Olympia that could cost the county about $18.2 million.
The vote means the county will continue to consider the lease. It does not mean the board has approved the project.
The budget amendment the board approved includes $7 million in placeholder funding for tenant improvements at the Atrium.
After multiple delays, the board has yet to issue a letter of intent to the owner of the Atrium or formally approve a lease. If the board does approve the project, then it would set in motion a plan to significantly reorganize county offices.
In March 2020, the commissioners retracted a ballot initiative that could have raised property taxes to pay to build a new county courthouse and office complex, citing COVID-19 concerns.
However, the county’s space needs have persisted and the current complex has aged into an inconvenience, The Olympian previously reported.
County Manager Ramiro Chavez has said this plan would move general government offices to the Atrium while the Lakeridge Drive campus would be improved and reconfigured into a law and justice center.
The second expansion involves spending $5.6 million to purchase the Mottman Complex at the intersection of Ferguson Street Southwest and 29th Avenue in Tumwater. The Auditor’s Office now leases space at the complex to run elections and process ballots.
Auditor Mary Hall has repeatedly called on the board to purchase the complex so she can meet her urgent space needs, consolidate her staff and secure the facility ahead of the next presidential election cycle, The Olympian previously reported.
The board previously approved this expansion and the county already has entered into a contract to purchase the complex by June 30, The Olympian previously reported.
Disagreement among the board
Commissioners Carolina Mejia and Tye Menser voted in favor of the amendment to the Capital Improvement Program, while Commissioner Gary Edward voted no.
During a work session on June 24, Mejia and Menser indicated they are inclined to support the Atrium project, provided the county can afford it.
Mejia said she thinks the reorganization will give the county flexibility to improve the main campus and address its longstanding space needs.
“Since 1997, we have not accomplished anything and things have just gotten more expensive,” Mejia said. “It doesn’t matter what the situation brings, it doesn’t matter if there’s a recession, still the need for space is there.”
Edwards voted against the amendment without added comment on Tuesday. However, he has previously said he thinks it’s premature for the county to expand its office space before the county figures out how workers will return to offices after the pandemic.
“I think it’s a big mistake,” Edwards said on Thursday. “I’m going to compliment the (Atrium) developer. ... He has done a great job, but it’s a Taj Mahal that we don’t need.”
Menser pushed back on Edwards’ characterization of the building and pointed out it used to be hardware store.
Menser said he thinks the Atrium project is a modest proposal compared to a previous proposal to build a new courthouse.
“(This approach says), ‘Let’s solve a need at a fraction of the cost,’” Menser said Thursday. “’Let’s not raise taxes one bit. Let’s leverage federal dollars if we can. It’s a win for the people that opposed the courthouse from the beginning.”
Just before the vote on Tuesday, Menser clarified that the amendment is simply a procedural step that would allow the Atrium proposal to be further reviewed.
He also addressed some concerns about the process by which the two proposals reached this stage.
“There were process allegations made,” Menser said. “We took them very seriously and reviewed each and every one with counsel. There was not determined to be any process problems.”
The budget amendment passes
The board also voted 2-1 to approve the first amendment to the 2021 county budget which included placeholder funding for the Atrium and Mottman Complex. Commissioners Mejia and Menser voted in favor of the amendment while Edwards voted against it.
Assistant County manager Robin Campbell said revenue in the general fund increased by $7.4 million while expenditures increased by $4.8 million.
In other funds, revenue increased by $134.6 million while expenditures increased by $124.7 million. She said that increase is about one third the size of the current county budget.
She said the county has received about $100 million in grant money that’s related to the ongoing response to the pandemic. That includes $28.2 million in American Rescue Act funds, The Olympian previously reported.
Additionally, the amendment includes about $916,000 from the general fund to help the courts, prosecutor’s office and public defense address the backlog of work created by the State v. Blake decision declaring the state’s simple drug possession law unconstitutional, Campbell said.
Notably, the amendment also sets aside $2 million as an initial deposit for a new rainy-day fund, she said.
“This is the first fund of its kind in Thurston County,” Campbell said. “It’s one step toward ensuring financial stability for the county in future times.”
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 11:08 AM.
