Highway superintendent reports aging HVAC units, vehicle purchases and new monthly expenditure spreadsheet

Highway Department staff told the Richland County Human and Public Works Standing Committee that several rooftop air‑handling units are failing and will likely need replacement, described large monthly expenditures and equipment purchases, and explained how the department procures gravel and other materials from local quarries.

The presenter said the courthouse (and related county buildings) are operating on only three of about 10 air‑handling units — “3 out of 10,” he said — and that some units date from 1987. Temperatures in the building have risen substantially; the presenter said interior readings had climbed from about 43 degrees one day to about 65 degrees the next because only a few units are operational. He told the committee he has warned for several years that the chillers/units need replacement and estimated a chiller replacement could exceed $100,000 depending on the solution and bids.

On monthly finances, staff summarized that the month’s bills totaled roughly $655,008.96 and flagged several large items: an annual excavator lease payment and a used replacement pickup (a 2023 Chevy 3,500 acquired for about $50,000) bought instead of investing in an engine for an older truck quoted at about $30,000. Highway material purchases for shoulder gravel and other maintenance were listed (one materials line showed $19,002.74 in the packet). The presenter said he will build a simple Excel spreadsheet pulled from the department’s accounting system (the department uses a state system termed "New Roads") to show monthly expenditures and a clearer financial picture; he expects a working copy within a month.

Members asked about quarry selection and bidding for materials. Staff explained the department typically receives price sheets from multiple local quarries and chooses based on proximity and price, using closer quarries when material and price align. The county does not generally competitively bid annual maintenance material unless the work is part of a state‑funded project or requires a formal advertised bid; state‑funded projects sometimes require formal bidding and reimbursements (for example 50%–80% reimbursements were described in general terms for certain state projects).

The committee also received a project update that a bridge project was nearing completion with anticipated final walkthrough in July (presenter gave schedule context), and heard that change orders were limited to additional piling work where subsurface conditions required deeper piles than expected.

Staff said they would return with the expenditure spreadsheet for the committee’s review and that they will seek bids or quotes for major HVAC work when needed. The presentation combined technical maintenance, budgeting transparency measures, and procurement practices for common materials.