County owner's representative reports progress, timeline shifts on ARPA-funded construction projects

Bill, the owner's representative, told the PB advisory meeting on July 7 that deliveries and installations are under way for several county construction projects funded through ARPA and other sources and that most sites remain on track though some timelines have shifted. The update covered elevator orders and cab selections, abatement and air monitoring work at the annex, foundation and underground plumbing progress at the behavioral health facility, HVAC work at the existing jail, and interior work and bracing at the ICB remodel. "The timeline is completion around March 1, and the contractual completion is mid April," Bill said of the annex elevator work. He said abatement is expected to be completed this week but will require Department of Labor inspections before turnover. The update matters because the projects affect county operations, public safety facilities and a behavioral health facility that county leaders said must coordinate multiple contractors and vendors to meet occupancy and service timelines. Project managers and county staff must balance weather-related delays, unexpected site conditions and required inspections while preserving contractor schedules. Bill described work on multiple fronts: elevator hardware has been ordered and cab selections completed; demolition and preparatory work has been done to receive the elevator contractor Kone; sheetrock and behind-wall inspections are ongoing; and air-monitoring reports are being provided to the county and to DOL during abatement. He said the annex team aims for turnover earlier than the contract date if inspections and abatement finish on schedule. On the behavioral health facility, Bill said site soils and weather have affected the schedule: "Currently, our schedule shows late 26," and he said the team expects to provide a recovery schedule in the coming week. On the existing jail HVAC work, Bill said the original scope should be complete around mid-August with commissioning through Sept. 1 and additional freeze-thaw piping work beginning around Sept. 1. Staff and contractors raised several logistical items during the discussion: quotes are being solicited to remove additional planter beds; some decorative boulders were salvaged and placed in the courtyard; removable bollards were identified on the east and west sides of the building; and the county does not have the equipment to remove heavily rusted bollards without outside help. Bill also reported a surprise oil-water separator discovered at the Emergency Ops site at 30 Seventh Street and said removal pricing was roughly "5 or $6,000," which the team intends to proceed with to avoid schedule impacts. The advisory group voted to receive the owner's representative report. No new contracts or budget appropriations were approved in the meeting; staff will continue coordination with vendors and the Department of Labor and return to the board as required. Minor items and project continuity: Williams White and Associates was thanked for providing updated photos and reports for public posting; staff noted file-size constraints when sharing photographs online and said they are working on a solution. Looking ahead, staff said they will circulate recovery schedules where needed and continue coordination between county staff, vendors and city partners for site-specific work such as the Emergency Ops driveway at 30 Seventh Street.