Facilities director outlines Franklin Street renovation, HVAC options and storage plans; commissioners direct RFP

During a facilities briefing at a Penobscot County commissioners meeting, the county’s facilities presenter reviewed plans for renovating the Franklin Street building, detailed competing HVAC proposals, described options for a storage structure behind the courthouse, and outlined requested changes to the commissioners’ chambers and courthouse plumbing.

The facilities presenter (identified in the transcript as “Mr. McDonald”) said the Franklin Street drawings have been revised after consultation with the sheriff’s office and that the county intends to publish a request for proposals (RFP) “in a matter of days.” He described the planned renovation as office space rather than a secure sheriff’s operation: “What we're gonna build is basically office space. There's no armory, there's no ammo vault,” he said.

On HVAC, Mr. McDonald summarized two approaches. Mechanical Services — the county’s long-standing vendor — provided a revision that would replace much of the building’s pneumatic controls, install new equipment and variable-air-volume boxes, and give individual offices thermostat control. He…