Ways and Means approves multiple 2025 capital supplemental appropriations, including park paving and courthouse HVAC

The Orange County Ways and Means Committee approved multiple supplemental appropriations on routine voice votes Wednesday, creating or modifying several 2025 capital projects that county staff said are needed for parks, highways, buildings and infrastructure.

Committee members approved a request from the county parks commissioner to add paving work at several park sites, including a pedestrian path at Thomasville Memorial Park, access road paving around the lodge, and cart-path paving at Hickory Hill Golf Course. Travis Ewald, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, said project details are still being finalized and the pedestrian path may be narrower than the 10-foot allowance written into the project authorization “to deter vehicular access.”

The committee also approved a supplemental appropriation for the Cromline Creek pump station rehabilitation project to add contingency funding and preserve flexibility to return unspent funds to the district fund balance. Deputy public works officials said roughly $3.3 million is now available to the project after prior allocations; part of that package includes ARPA money that staff did not want to commit as contingency in case it would go unused.

Public works presented a highway paving appropriation that will be project number 51 in the 2025 capital plan: $500,000 in county bonding with an additional $2.1 million expected from the state Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS). Deputy commissioners said the office typically resurfaces about 20–25 miles of roadway each year and is shifting more work onto CHIPS reimbursements to streamline administration.

Other approved capital items included: - Courthouse HVAC replacement (project 22): $1,400,000 bonding for replacement chillers, boilers and ancillary equipment in the 1999 courthouse, which staff said has aging mechanical infrastructure. - Buildings and grounds motor equipment replacement (project 23): $140,000 bonding to replace two vehicles (a pickup and a van) used by building grounds staff; staff noted the replacement vans include ladder racks and all-wheel drive and cost significantly more than basic trucks. - Building equipment replacement (project 29): $150,000 bonding for HVAC, electrical and other equipment across county buildings. - Asbestos and lead removal (project 27): $50,000 bonding for remediation work, with an immediate focus on the Goshen DPW garage and any on-call abatement needs identified during 2025 projects. - Building capital improvements (project 28): $350,000 bonding; staff noted a larger separate courthouse roof replacement project expected to cost more than $700,000 and said some funds from prior years were applied to a jail pump-station screen to help a village’s wastewater treatment. - ADA improvements (project 30): $50,000 bonding to begin work identified in a countywide ADA accessibility survey that the consultant is approximately 75% finished producing; staff said the full survey will likely identify millions of dollars of needs countywide and that these funds are an initial step to address urgent items with in-house staff and small contracts.

All of the above were presented as Type 2 or similar environmental actions under state implementing regulations cited by staff; no environmental review beyond the Type 2 determinations was presented. Committee members asked technical questions about widths, sequencing of projects to avoid displacing staff, and lead times for equipment. Votes were taken by voice for each item and carried.

Ending Committee members and department staff said they will return with project lists, bid packages or further appropriation requests as details are finalized and as equipment delivery schedules or consultant findings require next steps.