Payne County Allocates $200K for Building Repairs Amid Leaks

Payne County officials authorized up to $200,000 in emergency funding Monday to address ongoing water damage at the Administration Building and potential repairs at the courthouse, while also approving a pay raise for the fairgrounds director amid broader discussions about county employee compensation.

The Budget Board unanimously approved using interest money earned from the county's American Rescue Plan Act fund for building maintenance after Commissioner Seth Condley reported that exterior wall leaks at the Administration Building are more extensive than initially thought.

"That decorative ledge is leaking back into the wall and there was something missing," Condley said during the Sept. 8 meeting. "It's every section on every wall, north, east, west. There's parts that are just leaking down the wall."

The water damage initially appeared to be roof-related, but further investigation revealed the leaks originate from the building's decorative stone ledges. A contractor will conduct a 40-foot test section to determine if targeted repairs can resolve the issue, but Condley warned that a major project may be necessary if the test fails.

"We've got the third floor construction and it's leaking all around," Condley said. "We do not want water coming in" to the newly renovated space.

Budget Board Chair Zach Cavett proposed the $100,000 authorization to avoid delays in addressing the water damage. The funding allows the Board of County Commissioners to approve necessary repairs without calling special budget meetings.

"Sheetrock is never as good after it gets wet, so it'd be good to get it repaired sooner than later," Cavett said.

Payne County Treasurer Lee Denny motioned to increase the amount to $200,000 for both the administration building and the courthouse.

"Everything's so much more expensive than you think it's going to be," Denny said. "It's embarrassing, but a hundred thousand doesn't go very far."

The third floor construction project at the Administration Building continues to progress despite the water issues. Condley reported that contractor Firebrand meets with him almost daily and the project remains on schedule for completion in December.

Officials are still determining how to allocate the new third floor office space, with emergency management and the assistant district attorney's office under consideration. The county also plans to upgrade the new conference room with audio-visual equipment for presentations and teleconferences, though this was not included in the original construction bid.

In a separate matter, the Budget Board approved raising the fairgrounds director's annual salary to $69,042 after Fair Board member Thomas Walraven requested the increase. The raise puts director Josh Taylor's pay $1,200 above maintenance worker Michael Benson's salary, addressing concerns that a supervisor was earning less than his employee.

"We are 30% less than what our competitors are paying for an expo center director," Walraven told the board, citing comparisons with Grady County and other similar facilities.

The Fair Board initially requested a raise to $70,400 annually, which would have exceeded the county's standard pay scale. While some board members supported the higher amount since the fairgrounds operates on designated sales tax funds rather than general revenue, others insisted on a comprehensive review of all county positions before making exceptions to pay scales.

"I don't want to throw it out at this point until we can look at all the related positions," said Assessor Jason Gomez. "If we make this adjustment, I think that we have to dedicate immediate responsibility to the other positions that are in the same effect as this."

The discussion highlighted broader concerns about retaining qualified employees within the county's current pay structure. Several officials noted that valuable long-term employees with specialized skills are limited by pay scales that don't account for their experience and responsibilities.

"I have one employee in my office that has a master's degree in his specific field of study in his specific position, and I'm lucky that he's still with me," Gomez said.

Treasurer Lee Denny emphasized the challenge of keeping experienced staff who understand complex county operations. "We have really valued employees that have been here and know literally where all the bodies are buried and all the pitfalls and know their job so well," Denny said. "We're going to lose those people to other entities."

The board agreed to place a comprehensive pay scale review on next month's agenda to address potential inequities across all county positions, particularly those involving 24-hour responsibilities similar to the fairgrounds director role.

In other business, the board approved routine financial transfers, including $50,000 from Perkins Fire Department's maintenance and operations to capital outlay, and $120,000 for the same purpose from Cushing Fire Department.

Officials also discussed participating in the City of Stillwater's Christmas parade in December, with Condley suggesting the county could showcase equipment like tractors or bulldozers. The board plans to research participation requirements and costs.

The board considered reviving legislative breakfasts at the Administration Building during the upcoming legislative session. Denny, who proposed the idea, said such events previously helped county officials maintain working relationships with state legislators.

"We're a constituent body that you do a lot of legislation for, and we're here to be a resource for you [legislators]," Denny said, explaining the purpose of the proposed breakfasts.

Sheriff Joe Harper reported that issues with the inmate trust fund and commissary fund identified in a recent audit have been resolved. The auditors had requested changes to how vendor payments are processed to improve transparency.

The Budget Board meets monthly to review county finances and address operational issues across all county departments and offices.