Capital budget has few projects this year
The Permanent Building Fund budget, the state's capital budget, usually is the focus of much attention as various construction projects vie for state funding; not this year. JFAC this morning set a budget that's identical to the governor's recommendation. It calls for $19.9 million for needed alterations and repairs to state buildings in the coming year, and four projects: $600,000 for a metal structure for a maintenance shop at an Orofino prison; $1.3 million for a high voltage power distribution system for the Department of Juvenile Corrections facility at St. Anthony; $612,000 to demolish condemned structures at State Hospital South; and $500,000 to start the process of renovating the Capitol Annex, where lawmakers held their legislative session for the past two years while the state Capitol was renovated; the full job will cost $6 million, while the first step will hook the building up to geothermal heat. That's it.