Court hears breakdown of courthouse boiler costs after repeated repairs; officials call for ongoing maintenance

County facilities staff briefed the Clark County Fiscal Court on a multi‑year pattern of boiler repairs and related deferred maintenance for the county’s 33‑year‑old courthouse hot water system, saying the total spend since February 2023 is about $78,711 for the boiler and water‑treatment work plus roughly $11,694 for associated repairs.

Arnie (staff member) walked the court through invoices and said the initial replacement of three boilers in September 2023 cost $65,010. Additional electrical work, small repair invoices and a November 15, 2024 invoice for two Flotek water‑treatment systems (installed to address hard‑water damage) accounted for the bulk of the remainder. “If we didn't, we were to continue to have those little bills that would add 12,000 quickly and our hot water system boilers would go down prematurely,” Arnie said, describing the economic rationale for installing the Flotek systems.

Staff said the facility’s age drives many of the extra costs: failed sump pumps, domestic water valve replacements and emergency shutoff valves contributed to the $11,694 in deferred maintenance. A staff summary provided to the court listed warranty terms in the original agreement (one year labor on parts, heat exchanger eight years or 12,000 hours, storage tank six years) and noted there was no warranty on existing piping or pumps.

County officials said water chemistry (hard water) likely damaged the earlier unit and that replacement parts were obtained after warranty discussions with the manufacturer. Staff recommended routine cleaning of ductwork and regular maintenance to extend equipment life; one official said duct and system cleaning had been proposed in the budget.

The court did not take a separate vote on the boiler work at the meeting; staff described the charges as expenditures already incurred and summarized the invoices to explain the amounts appearing on the bills list. Officials said some repairs were emergent (affecting operation) while others were deferred maintenance that had accumulated because the building is aged.

Ending: County staff will continue routine maintenance planning and present related budget or appropriation requests in upcoming meetings to address deferred items such as ductwork cleaning and ongoing mechanical maintenance.