LITCHFIELD -- The Meeker County Board of Commissioners helped the Bernie Aaker Auditorium renovation move forward Tuesday by approving the transfer of $1 million in county funds to finance the project.
Meeker County Administrator Paul Virnig said the actual process of organizing the financing has been relatively smooth in comparison to getting the plan to the board for approval.
The funds will be transferred from the county's revenue fund to its capital projects fund and will be split between the county and the Litchfield School District. Each entity, along with the city of Litchfield, owes $500,000 toward the $1.5 million price tag for the renovation.
Last month, the county and the school district reached a financing agreement that would see the school district paying back its loan of $500,000 from the county in five years at an interest rate of 5 percent.
Virnig said construction was planned to begin on the project after receiving bids for the renovation in February.
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The renovation project will turn the 850-seat auditorium into a family services building designed to hold a variety of community events. In a July interview, Litchfield School District Superintendent Bill Wold said the auditorium had been booked over 300 days last year for various events and expects similar numbers after the renovation.
In other meeting business:
- County Sheriff Mike Hirman announced the hiring of John Agre as the county's newest full-time deputy.
- Virnig said CROW Watershed Coordinator Diane Sanders gave a very informative 15-minute overview presentation about the activities that CROW has taken on over the last few years.
- Virnig said the board brought up that the Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area will be closing the Mark Geyer property Monday. Virnig said he thinks this could be the "official start of land acquisition for the recreation area."
