Last fall, Pat and Kelley Derner of Carroll offered to donate a single-story home for use as a two-bedroom cabin at Swan Lake. At the time of the offer, Carroll County Conservation Director, Jason Christensen had estimated the cost to pour a basement and move the house at the mid $30,000 mark. After getting quotes on the project, Christensen told the board of supervisors Monday that the initial estimates were a bit low.
He said that because the heating and air conditioning systems were donated with the structure, it would be easiest to create a full basement for the heating system and hook it back up to the existing ductwork. They would also like to introduce egress windows to the basement area for the ability to create more livable space on the lower level in the future. Christensen asked the supervisors to revisit their original conversation last fall about the possibility of a contribution to the project along with a loan to avoid taking too much out of his capital fund at once. Chair Neil Bock said he would prefer to keep the county contribution low because Conservation has some income deriving properties that support their capital fund.
He said he is very agreeable to do a 100 percent loan and to protect the Local Income Sales Tax funds, which would be used for a contribution, for mental health services. The other supervisors all agreed that a small contribution was appropriate, and Mark Beardmore made a motion to that effect.
Marty Danzer seconded that motion, which passed with four in favor and Bock casting the sole nay vote. Todd Grossman, of Grossman and Sons Excavating, has volunteered to dig the hole for the basement of the cabin that will be placed where the north shelter house had previously sat.
