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Ravalli County facilities officials warn of pricey courthouse and jail repairs in FY26 budget preview
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Summary
County facilities staff told commissioners on May 12 that recent equipment replacements improved performance but several large, unpriced repairs — including courthouse hot-water isolation valves and elevator work — could push the maintenance budget higher; staff recommended pursuing quotes and keeping some items in capital rather than operating.
Ravalli County facilities staff told the Board of County Commissioners on May 12 that recent equipment work has improved building performance but that several major repairs and contract cost increases could raise FY26 facility budgets.
The facilities presentation focused on new detention heat pumps paid for with a grant, ongoing elevator leakage in the courthouse, an unreceived quote for isolation valves on the courthouse hot-water loop, rising prices for routine supplies, and proposed changes to smoke detectors in the jail. Facilities staff said some work should be treated as capital projects rather than routine operating expenses.
"We have new heat pumps installed in the detention boiler room," Jesse said, describing the heat pumps' effect: "With the addition of a space heater we've now maintained that space at 60 plus degrees through all winter." He also described continuing software-and-unit fine-tuning and the need to keep an eye on an elevator shaft leak that has been slow but persistent since the equipment dates to 1979: "It's not losing gallons. It's losing a cup maybe in 2 weeks, 3 weeks."
Jesse said he has not yet received the contractor quote for isolation valves and warned that the work may be expensive because piping will have to be removed and welded in a shop to avoid triggering building gas and CO2 alarms. "I expect that quote to be pretty substantial. I have like I said, I have not seen it yet," he told the commissioners.
On fire-safety equipment in the jail, Jesse recommended replacing smoke detectors in the inmate cell plumbing “water closet” vents with heat detectors to reduce nuisance alarms and quarterly maintenance: "The smoke detector... gets dirty and they set off an alarm. What A and D would like to do is take out that and put just a heat detector. That way you don't have to go clean those out every time they go off." Commissioners and staff agreed that converting the detectors would be a capital expense.
Contract pricing was another focus. Jesse said a Johnson Controls (JCI) service and software contract is under review and that his request to increase the contract line reflected field costs: "A guy comes down from Missoula. It cost me $1,200 regardless of whether he does 5 minutes or an hour's worth of work." That explanation accompanied a cited request for an 18% increase on a contract description that listed a 10% rise.
Supply and operating costs are rising across multiple lines, Jesse said. Examples he provided: MERV‑8 air filters that two years ago cost about $56 per box have gone to about $125 per box; LED light‑bulb packs have increased in price; and certain jail plumbing kits are $125 apiece. Large line items flagged for attention included a $5,000 contingency for hot‑water repairs and a separately noted $5,000 elevator seal replacement line suggested for capital-moving if required by state preparation rules.
Commissioners asked staff to pursue contractor outreach after the county received no bids on a public solicitation to repair deteriorated sidewalks. "I would suggest we work with the maintenance department and see if we can reach out to some contractors to see if we can encourage some interest in this," Commissioner Chilcott said.
Jesse recommended keeping the county’s current building control software in place while exploring alternatives, citing the complexity of multiple systems that do not talk to each other. "Software is a big headache in these buildings and there's 3 different systems and they don't always work talk together like they're supposed to," he said.
The presentation also covered routine items such as inventorying spare pump cartridges for detention circulation pumps, stocking filters and custodial supplies, and evaluating whether to repair an aging snowblower or buy a replacement. On a recurring maintenance line the facilities presenter said the year-to-date spend had already exceeded prior budgets and that overall costs were up across the board.
Discussion-only items included tree plantings around the West House scheduled with the city and the status of a natural-gas contract negotiated through a state university consortium that Jesse said ends June 30, 2025 and needs review to avoid open-market pricings shifts.
Commissioners directed staff to pursue quotes for the major repairs, to include detector conversions as a capital consideration, and to work with maintenance to solicit contractors for the sidewalk work after no bids were received. The meeting did not include formal approval of new contracts or capital moves during the presentation. The board recessed to later agenda items after the facilities discussion.
