Storage space is at a premium in Douglas County offices. Is there a better way to deal with the problem than simply building more buildings?

As any homeowner knows, it’s almost impossible to have too much storage space. No matter how much you have, it always seems you could use some more.

With that axiom in mind, Douglas County officials may need to start thinking outside the box to solve the county’s space problems, especially the need to provide more storage.

Even though the county is just completing an expansion of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, officials say the lack of space is critical. County commissioners are expressing dismay at the volume of county paperwork stacked in every available corner not only of the courthouse but of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center and the former church building the county owns just south of South Park. It’s inconvenient for workers and perhaps even a fire hazard in some areas.

Commissioners seem ready to act to improve the situation, but they should be careful to examine all of their alternatives including electronic storage options before throwing public money at this problem.

Money already has been set aside for a project at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds that would provide room for maintenance equipment as well as for document storage. Commissioners also are looking for solutions that address more than one problem. Perhaps a decked parking facility could be built that also provided additional storage space south of the law enforcement center. Or maybe the property on which the former church building now stands could be put to better use by tearing down the existing structure and replacing it with a more efficient and spacious building.

Although these options deserve exploration, the county also might consider attacking the problem from the other end. Instead of providing more space for more documents, maybe they should look at ways to house more documents in less space by increasing their use of computerized storage. If, as they say they are, commissioners are seeking ideas for filling the county’s storage needs for the next 40 years, they probably need to look beyond simply trying to build more buildings.

A number of questions need to be asked. Can some of the paper be converted to electronic documents that would take up less space and allow the paper documents to be destroyed? What files do officials in the courthouse and law enforcement center need ready access to? It makes little sense to stash files at the fairgrounds that officials downtown need to have readily available. If those documents are used only seldom, that would seem to strengthen the case for using electronic storage.

It would, of course, cost something to set up and maintain additional computerized storage, but how does that cost and convenience compare with the cost of building new structures or leasing off-site storage, as the county does now?

Local officials should look into how other growing counties are dealing with their space and storage issues. Maybe someone has some creative ideas that can save taxpayers the expense of a major construction project.

There is little argument that a problem exists, but there are many possible plans that should be fully explored before committing more tax dollars to a solution.