Allegany County says conflict defender office renovation progressing; utility hookup and costs still in flux

Allegany County staff told the Public Works Committee on April 16, 2025, that renovations to the conflict defender office are moving forward but remain weather- and utility-dependent, with final electric metering and some equipment lead times still unresolved.

County project manager Tom Windus said contractors have completed interior and some exterior work and that crews will need to connect sidewalks and provide accessible routes from the parking lot when weather permits. "We finally have a plan. RG and E is working up the final details. We have to wait for them to sign off on it, and then we can get that service done," Windus said.

Windus described an RG&E requirement that complicated the original utility layout: the buildings were previously supplied as a single facility, and RG&E requested separate meters for each building rather than a proposal the county initially planned. That redesign increased materials and wiring needs, he said, and contributed to a delay in energizing the site.

Windus also said the project includes a generator that will provide backup power to the conflict defender office and the Board of Elections. "The generator is on order and that might be another thing that's delayed just depending on when they they can get it," Windus said.

County finance staff provided figures on spending and encumbrances. One staff member said the county encumbered about $1.2 million in 2024 for the capital project. A different finance speaker said the county spent about $800,000 in 2025 to date and that those costs are covered by existing encumbrances. Another staff member reported that "cash out the door on our on that project is $891,000 so far today." The county also reported state funding contributions but did not provide a fully reconciled, itemized breakdown in the meeting record.

Committee members asked whether state funds would cover the additional utility costs created by RG&E’s redesign; staff said the state committed to pay up to a specific dollar amount, and the county must pay amounts beyond that cap. "They were just gonna pay up to a certain dollar amount, and then we have to pay for everything else," Windus said.

The committee did not set a revised completion date; Windus characterized the remaining schedule as weather-dependent and contingent on RG&E sign‑off.

Votes at a glance: A procedural motion taken early in the meeting carried; Root seconded the motion and the chair announced it was carried. The meeting record does not specify the motion text.

The committee moved on to other capital projects and facility items after the update.