Cowlitz County approves $9.15 million Hall of Justice renovation, designates Mike Moss to sign

Cowlitz County commissioners voted to approve a project funding authorization totaling $9,153,000 for renovations at the Hall of Justice and designated Mike Moss as the county—s authorized signer for the contract and related change orders.

The approval covers a construction contract held by Millig (contractor name in the packet) with a contract value just over $8 million, an owner-held contingency of approximately $363,000 (5% plus an additional $80,000 held for equipment price risk), and an owners—all-in figure the county staff presented as about $9.15 million. Commissioners approved the package during a public meeting after staff summarized technical, schedule and cost details.

Savannah Clement, Public Works and Public Services, said staff returned to the board to address follow-up questions from a prior workshop and to request the funding authorization and signer designation. Clement said the project team used the RSMeans construction-cost database to estimate maintenance and life-cycle costs and left the combined annual utility and maintenance estimate at about $100,000 per year as a conservative figure.

Staff described work scoped for the HOJ as mechanical and controls upgrades, including removal of air compressors, rehabilitation or abandonment of pneumatic lines, and reuse of existing ductwork and some electrical feeders where appropriate. "The pneumatic lines themselves will stay in place," Lauren, a controls contractor who presented technical details, said; she added that control enclosures no longer needed would be gutted and that low-voltage control wiring would be pulled back and made safe. Staff said pneumatic lines contaminated with small amounts of oil will be handled so capped or removed safely and that recyclable materials and metals will be pulled for recycling where feasible.

Project accounting and incentives: staff told commissioners Millig—s direct contract value would be just over $8 million, the owner would hold roughly $363,000 in contingency (the packet described this as the 5% contingency plus an additional $80,000 held specifically for potential equipment cost increases), and the county—s funding authorization would cover the owners—all-in estimate of about $9.15 million. Staff estimated utility incentives of about $315,000 and an "early adopter" incentive of about $260,000; both were described as reimbursable, meaning the county would pay first and be reimbursed after the incentives are processed. Staff also reported a not-to-exceed line for the contractor of about $8.378 million.

On contingency use and contract controls, staff said contingency funds cannot be spent without approval. The team described two mechanisms for handling urgent unforeseen conditions: a field authorization that allows limited, quick approvals to keep work moving (followed later by formal change orders) and the standard change-order process for non-urgent scope or cost adjustments. Staff said any unspent contingency under the contractor—s contract would be returned to the county by deductive change order at contract closeout.

Lighting and ceilings: commissioners asked about an optional lighting and ceiling scope. Staff said replacing nonstandard ceiling grids and fixtures and addressing embedded IT, fire-safety, and security devices drives much of the cost. The team estimated a full ceiling-plus-LED replacement could fall in the roughly $750,000 to $1,000,000 range; a more limited tube/ballast replacement while retaining the existing unusual grid would cost less. Staff said LED options, controls and dimming can increase utility incentives and that the county could seek Department of Commerce energy-efficiency grant funding but might be constrained by timing if construction begins before grant awards. Staff also said they would include the "early adopter" incentive in any lighting proposal.

Other technical points staff provided: the expected useful life of major new HVAC components was described as roughly 20 to 25 years, while some reused items (boilers, ductwork, feeders) have longer lives; magnetic ballasts and fluorescent tubes contain small amounts of regulated materials and the contractor—s scope includes recycling and proper disposal of asbestos, lamps and ballasts if encountered.

Next steps: staff said they would prepare a formal, detailed scope and cost proposal for the optional lighting/ceiling work and return it to the board for separate consideration. The board approved the presented funding authorization, the contract package as described, and named Mike Moss as the county—s designated signer for field authorizations and contract documents; staff said any field authorization would be followed by the customary change-order documentation and board notification via consent agenda or direct board action if required by value or timing.

The meeting record shows commissioners voiced support and called for the work to move forward; staff thanked the board and said they would coordinate with USDA and other agencies if needed to pursue additional assistance or grant opportunities.