County staff recommend delaying geothermal HVAC project; full HVAC replacement likely to affect CIP

Facilities staff and committee members discussed the judicial center HVAC replacement and a previously proposed geothermal/solar option at a May 14 meeting, concluding the county should not proceed with the guaranteed-energy-savings geothermal contract as proposed and instead plan for a traditional HVAC replacement in 2026 if funding and CIP adjustments allow.

Dan, a county staff member presenting the facilities update, said the geothermal proposal would have carried a roughly $11,000,000 price tag and required an increase to debt service. "It wasn't going to be able to be done without an increase to the debt service," Dan told the committee. He said the vendor's proposal guaranteed about 31% of the total cost, which left the county responsible for about 69% of the project risk and limited the county's control over system design.

Staff said the building controls are beyond their practical service life and replacement parts are no longer readily purchasable; the controls are the component most likely to cause total loss of system manageability if they fail. Dan added that other components are beyond typical life but still functional and that replacing controls alone is an option if the county pursues a like-for-like system. He cautioned that installing a geothermal system would require replacing air handlers and other equipment now in use, limiting reuse of existing hardware.

For planning, staff estimated a traditional full HVAC replacement would likely cost in the $8,000,000'$9,000,000 range and would affect the county's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Facilities will discuss next steps at an upcoming facilities committee meeting; if facilities recommends proceeding, staff said they would return to the legislative/executive committees with a proposed CIP amendment for formal consideration at the June meeting and then to the full county board in June as well.

Committee members noted the judicial center contains a 24/7 jail and that sustained HVAC failure could create urgent operational risks. One member said, "If the control system completely packs it in, we have a major problem," underscoring the system's operational importance. The facilities committee accepted the recommendation not to proceed with the guaranteed-energy-savings geothermal contract and will continue planning for a fiscally and operationally appropriate replacement path.

No final procurement award was made at the May 14 meeting; facilities staff will report back with recommendations and CIP amendment language if needed.