# County commissions design for a bigger south highway garage after years of cramped, outdoor repairs

## What happened
Commissioners approved a $45,000 engineering contract with Walbeeser Engineering to design an addition to the county highway department's south garage, after the county engineer said moving operations to a different property wasn't cost-effective. ([15:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=930)) The addition would be a 60-by-80-foot building adding three vehicle bays plus a wash bay; a commissioner said the south garage currently has only two bays that vehicles pull into but can't pull through, so crews have had to repair broken-down trucks and equipment outdoors, including in winter weather. ([16:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=969), [17:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1025)) The contract also includes a roughly $16,000 site-design subcontract to address drainage on the property, and the county engineer said the added bays would let crews pre-load materials for a faster response to winter storms. ([16:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=970), [18:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1121))

## The outcome
Approved on a voice vote; no per-member tally was recorded. The $45,000 pays only for design work — the county engineer said no construction funding has been budgeted yet, and it will likely need a bond or another outside funding source, since state road-maintenance funds can't be used here without cutting other road work. ([16:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=994), [19:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1140), [19:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1180), [21:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1315))

## Sources
- [Contract and rationale, 15:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=930)
- [Addition size and bay shortage, 16:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=969)
- [Only two non-pull-through bays today, 17:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1025)
- [Drainage subcontract and winter-response benefit, 16:10 / 18:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=970)
- [No construction budget yet, 16:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=994)
- [MVH/road funds can't be used without cuts, 19:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1140)
- [Would likely need a bond, 19:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1180)
- [Voice vote approval, 21:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1315)

*Also known as: south highway garage expansion · Walbeeser Engineering contract · new highway garage bays and wash bay*