House Corrections Committee presses BGS and DOC on stalled air‑conditioning upgrades and capital plan for state prisons

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Lawmakers on the House Corrections & Institutions Committee on Feb. 20 pressed Buildings and General Services and the Department of Corrections about delays and cost uncertainty tied to a package of air‑conditioning and other capital upgrades at several state correctional facilities.

The committee heard that design work is complete for temporary air‑conditioning units at four facilities — Southern State Correctional Facility (Springfield), Northern State Correctional Facility, Northeast Regional Correctional Facility (St. Johnsbury) and the Caledonia work camp — but that a recent construction bid for permanent systems drew no submissions.

The lack of bids prompted detailed questioning about how the work will be sequenced, how much relief temporary units will provide, and whether available funds will cover meaningful improvements before next summer. "Design is complete for the temporary for all four," said Joe Ajah, Director for Design and Construction for Buildings and General Services (BGS). Ajah told the committee he and BGS will contact contractors who attended the pre‑bid walk‑throughs to learn why they did not submit proposals and to consider rebidding in staged packages.

Why it matters: committee members said the issue affects staff and incarcerated people during heat events and complicates staffing. The committee cited a Vermont Occupational Safety and Health (VOSHA) complaint at Southern State last summer that identified staff heat‑related incidents. "There were three staff impacted by the heat there," said Al Cormier, chief of operations for the Department of Corrections (DOC), describing the VOSHA action as a warning that led to recommended and required measures such as additional breaks and movement into air‑conditioned areas.

BGS and DOC described a two‑track approach while they sort out contractor interest and equipment lead times: (1) install temporary commercial heat‑pump units in shared, non‑living‑unit spaces (staff lounges, training rooms, infirmary) to provide relief this summer, and (2) pursue permanent full‑facility HVAC installations through construction contracts once bids are feasible. Ajah said temporary units "will not be in the living unit. It will be more of a shared space" and that permanent systems can take a year to 18 months from order to delivery.

Funding and timing: Ajah confirmed the governor's proposed capital budget includes $5,000,000 in fiscal 2026 and $1,000,000 in fiscal 2027 for correctional HVAC work. Committee members and BGS staff also discussed prior appropriations and remaining balances; Ajah and members noted available funds and placeholders may be adjusted during upcoming markups. Committee members repeatedly pressed for a concrete schedule and a report back after BGS contacts contractors.

Cost and scope examples: witnesses described wide variation in scope. Ajah said fully air‑conditioning Southern State (Springfield) had previously been estimated in the multi‑million dollar range — "I think the Springfield facility was over $3,000,000 just to do Springfield" — and that the Northwest State Correctional Facility (St. Albans) may require far larger investment because of building age and attic conditions: "it would be over $16,000,000 to renovate to add AC" and was being kept on a future list.

Contractor market and construction risks: Committee members and BGS staff emphasized several constraints that likely reduced bidder interest: projects across multiple sites increase mobilization costs; background checks and security protocols at correctional facilities make work slower and more expensive; and long equipment lead times and potential tariffs are raising uncertainty. Ajah said BGS will ask contractors why they declined to bid and may rebid with staged packages, starting with temporary work or focusing on a single facility first.

Health and operational impacts: Steve Howard, executive director of the Vermont State Employees' Association (VSEA), told the panel the union can provide firsthand accounts of heat incidents and said cooling vests and other interim measures have limited effectiveness: "There were four incidents of heat stroke," Howard said while describing measures that were recommended or required after the VOSHA review.

Other capital items discussed: the committee also reviewed related correctional capital priorities in the governor's request, including door‑control and camera system upgrades at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility, ADA compliance work at Southern, Northern and Chittenden Regional facilities required by a Department of Justice settlement, and roof and sprinkler repairs at Northwest and Northern State facilities. BGS staff described ADA work as on a schedule tied to a court settlement and noted bidding challenges on some sites.

Next steps: The committee agreed to press BGS for rapid feedback from contractors and to revisit the capital request during markup. "We should be reaching out this week," Ajah said about contacting firms who attended the pre‑bid meetings; the committee planned to begin markup the following week and to expect further updates after town meeting recess.

No formal votes or binding actions were taken during the hearing; members said budget numbers and project sequencing will be reconsidered during capital bill markups.

Closing: Committee members said they intended to balance urgency for relief at overheating facilities with fiscal constraints and the realities of the construction market, and asked BGS and DOC to return with contractor feedback and refined cost and scheduling information ahead of markup.