Cooke County schedules workshop after Trane warns North Annex needs major repairs

Cooke County Commissioners on Tuesday heard a presentation from Trane Technologies on a proposed assessment and potential renovation work for the county's North Annex, and agreed to hold a walking workshop next Tuesday to develop a floor plan and refine priorities. No contract was approved at the meeting.

Trane representatives gave a scope of work and an order-of-magnitude roadmap intended to surface life-safety and access issues the county would need to address before occupying the building. "The basement area is probably not currently safe for occupancy," said Bill Keenan, Trane's pre-construction team leader, and he told the court the building's HVAC "is toast," describing it as a likely tear-out-and-replace job rather than a short-term repair.

The company handed commissioners a client-agreement draft and a scope document for review. "We're going to provide you a line-item list of issues including HVAC, electrical, ADA compliance, elevators, and potential asbestos or lead-based-paint remediation, and put budget dollars to that," Keenan said. Brandy Hawkins, Trane account manager, said the firm's $39,000 proposal would produce the assessment and the budget ranges the county requested.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the county must decide whether to invest in renovating the existing Annex or consider alternatives; Trane's presentation framed the likely scale and cost drivers. Keenan warned several items beyond HVAC could materially increase the total price, including elevator work, ADA-required upgrades and possibly replacing aging electrical panels.

Discussion and next steps: Commissioners and staff debated whether the county had the necessary floor plan and program information to direct a study now. Some county officials said they expected Trane's work to focus narrowly on existing rooftop units and other HVAC hardware; Trane's team described a broader, roadmap-style study that would identify safety, accessibility and environmental remediation needs as well as HVAC options.

Trane flagged several items the study would investigate and budget roughly for: - Basement egress and occupancy safety. - Potential ADA compliance work; Keenan used order-of-magnitude figures during the discussion, noting ADA and elevator upgrades could be six-figure items. - Electrical service and subpanel condition; Keenan said he had heard that some subpanels might be Federal Pacific-brand, a discontinued product that can require replacement. - Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) and lead-based paint testing and remediation if present. - The impact of recent refrigerant changes (transcript reference: "R 4 54") on equipment availability and cost.

Commissioners decided they were not ready to execute the assessment agreement as written and instead asked county staff and Trane to reconvene after the court produces a floor plan and program for the Annex. The court agreed to a walking workshop at the Annex next Tuesday to inspect the facility and try to align a scope with the county's intended occupancy and budget. Trane advised the county to delay committing to full design or construction until the county confirms a program and priorities.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to approve payment of monthly bills: passed (vote tally announced as 4 in favor, 1 absent). No individual recorded roll-call votes were provided in the transcript. - Motion to adjourn: moved by Commissioner Snuggs, seconded by Commissioner Arndt; passed (4 in favor, 1 absent). The court adjourned at 10:52 a.m.

What was not decided: The court did not authorize the Trane contract or any construction work at this meeting. Commissioners repeatedly emphasized they want a tighter floor plan and clearer program for use of the Annex before authorizing expensive remediation or renovations.

County context: Multiple speakers noted the county purchased the Annex at a low price and must weigh the sunk cost against other capital needs such as roads and drainage. Trane estimated that full replacement or extensive renovation could reach multimillion-dollar levels, and stressed the county's budget priorities will determine whether the Annex work should proceed.

Ending: Trane will revise or hold its proposed scope pending the county's workshop and any further direction. Commissioners asked staff to prepare a floor plan and said they will return the item to a future court with clearer options and cost estimates for specific, prioritized work.