Davis to finance new health building with savings, bonding

FARMINGTON — For the past three years, Davis County commissioners have been putting money away to build a new health-department building.

After asking department heads to be frugal with their budgets, commissioners have taken leftover money each year and put it into a fund to be used for construction projects.

Up to $6 million may be used to build a new 45,000-square-foot, three-story health building, which will be located in Clearfield across from City Hall on State Street.

The new building is being designed as a one-stop shop to house the programs administered by the health department — a Women, Infants and Children clinic, food-handler training, a medical and dental clinic, vital records and laboratories — all of which will be located on the ground floor for an easy interface with the public, said Davis County Health Department director Lewis Garrett.

The current health-department building in the former county jail is cramped and has malfunctioning heating and air-conditioning systems.

On Tuesday, convened as the county's Municipal Building Authority, county commissioners approved the first step in a financing plan that will let them borrow up to $9 million for the health-department building, though they expect to borrow just $3 million.

The financing plan sets the maximum parameters the county could shoulder, even though they aren't expected to reach those maximums.

For example, commissioners could be on the hook for an interest rate of up to 12 percent because of the potentially small amount that could be borrowed, said Johnathan Ward, vice president of Zions Bank Public Finance, but he said that rate isn't likely.

Commissioner Bret Millburn said he hopes the county can take advantage of the current construction climate, as recent construction bids throughout the county have come in well below estimates.

The resolution also sets a public hearing on the lease-revenue bonds, which will be held during the commission meeting June 30.

No tax increase will be involved in securing the bonds, said Steve Rawlings, Davis County clerk/auditor.

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