Cowlitz County reviews $1.2 million LED lighting, ceiling and seismic upgrade for Hall of Justice

Savannah Clement, deputy director of public services for Cowlitz County, introduced a Millig proposal to upgrade lighting and ceilings at the Hall of Justice, covering the basement, first and second floors and adding seismic bracing for non‑original interior partition walls.

The proposal presented by a Millig representative described a turnkey package of new LED fixtures or LED retrofits where ceilings are not replaced, new T grids and tiles in most spaces, demolition and recycling of existing materials, disposal of ballasts and other hazardous components, one year workmanship warranty, seismic tie‑offs for new fixtures, and coordination for utility rebate applications. The contractor said the scope excludes the third floor, which is used infrequently.

County staff and Millig described structural and constructability issues discovered during site walks: many infill office partition walls were bolted to the ceiling grid rather than tied to the deck above, creating a seismic vulnerability and requiring bracing of those walls to the deck. The contractor recommended tying each affected wall to the deck and properly installing the new ceiling grid, which will lower the finished ceiling by roughly 1–2 inches in some areas.

Millig presented a total turnkey cost of about $1,100,000 and, after taxes and DES fees, an estimated contract amount shown to the board around $1,213,000. The contractor said the county would receive approximately $30,000–$35,000 in utility incentives and could save about $34,000 a year in utility and maintenance costs; including the incentive the presenter summarized a net project cost in the $1.18 million range. The package as presented also included a 3% owner‑held contingency (the larger HVAC project retains a higher contingency level).

Lighting controls were discussed at length. Current energy code requirements for luminaire‑level lighting controls (a driver and wireless device per fixture) would add significant cost. The contractor said Millig obtained a variance to omit luminaire‑level controls for this project but recommended occupancy sensors and wall switches in small offices as a lower‑cost option for additional savings. The board asked staff whether the occupancy sensors should be included.

Contractors will need to secure and re‑support decades of IT, fire alarm, smoke detection and other above‑ceiling wiring during demolition and reinstall or resecure those systems to the new ceiling. Millig said that because the ceiling work is being coordinated with the larger HVAC contract, a substantial portion of the grid will be removed for HVAC access and that coordinating the two projects reduces some duplication in costs. Millig estimated the lighting/ceiling scope will add roughly one month to the overall construction schedule (work will proceed zone by zone through eight zones).

Board members questioned aesthetic options for the first‑floor lobby area, where a decorative 1970s inlay with about 150 light fixtures sits beneath the deck with many fixtures and lenses above. Millig offered two options: a one‑for‑one LED conversion that preserves the decorative insert at lower cost, or an aesthetic overhaul to replace the insert with standard 2x4 ceiling grid and new fixtures for an estimated adder of about $100,000. Several commissioners said they favored taking the opportunity to modernize the lobby while the building is opened up for construction.

Staff said Millig proposes to amend the preexisting contract rather than use a change order and will return with a final, line‑item guarantee (down to the dollar) and the formal amendment for board approval. No formal board vote or contract award occurred at this meeting; the presentation was informational and the board asked staff to return with the hard proposal.

The discussion included operational impacts: Millig and county staff described phased work, night and weekend schedules in court areas, and strategies to limit courtroom downtime (the courts will not hold court on Fridays and specific scheduling was proposed to reduce disruption).