Facilities Master Plan Project

The short answer? Years. A comprehensive review and plan for all county buildings started in 2023 with a board-approved space study prior to all of the legwork that is building towards a Facilities Master Plan. Please see the document section of this page for a full overview. 

The Dodge County Space Study was approved by the County Board of Supervisors in October 2023. The contract was awarded to Angus Young to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study and space needs analysis for existing Dodge County facilities to determine the most practical and cost-effective solution to meet the County's existing and future space needs. Find the authorizing resolution here.

The Space Study reviews how effectively current buildings are being used. Although departments may be able to provide anecdotal information regarding usage, a comprehensive study provides far more exact information on space usage, capacity and provides recommendations in the current state for more effective usage. Review the Dodge County Space Study here.

The Dodge County Master Plan Study was approved by the County Board of Supervisors in March 2025 after a vote failed to pass the resolution at the February 2025 County Board of Supervisor's meeting.

To summarize: The Space Study is a precursor to a Master Plan Study both of which inform the decisions that will be made by the County Board of Supervisors when the Master Facility Plan is approved.

Henry Dodge was built in 1969 for the purpose of serving as a nursing home and care based residential facility. It was converted to Human Services office space in the early 2010s. 

Although the building is structurally sound, mechanicals are past their useful intended lifespan, expensive to maintain, and are not energy efficient. At present, there are mechanical systems within this building that are unusable and others that need weekly care and repair. Many of the HVAC and electrical systems are aged enough that parts are no longer manufactured for them and our facilities team has to source used or vintage parts from online auction sites.

The general consensus provided from field experts in engineering, HVAC and construction is that Henry Dodge has reached the end of its useful life.

The Dodge County Board of Supervisors was given a tour of Henry Dodge to help our elected officials get a better understanding of the state of mechanical systems within the building in April of 2025. Photos of that tour can be found on our County Facebook page.

The Facilities Master Plan draft is tentatively looking at a new Sheriff's Office many years down the road (around a decade). There are a number of needs outlined in the draft plan that indicate that a larger space that can hold all Sheriff's Office functions may be needed. 

The current Sheriff's Office was originally built to serve as the Dodge County Courthouse, built in 1984. Prior to that, the Sheriff's Office and Jail were located just north of the current office where the county has empty building space which the Sheriff's Office currently uses for storage and training activities.

Although the building is still functional, its size and location causes logistical issues for the Sheriff's Office. The jail, as well as the impound lot and evidence storage building are offsite from the main office which leads to inefficiencies for staff. The building is also running into space issues as areas used for large meetings and trainings are generally overbooked.

The current recommendation to the board is to continue to use the current Administration Building with some modifications including updating the building envelope and HVAC, relocating all Medical Examiner functions to the building and making security upgrades.

No, employees currently have sufficient parking. There are no recommendations for a structure or underground heated parking for employees. Where there has been discussion is around an appropriate and functional space with a sallyport for the Medical Examiner as well as vehicle and evidence storage for the Sheriff's Office.