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Peoria County committee reviews courthouse heating failures, sprinkler inspection and jail cell conversion progress
Summary
Committee members pressed facilities staff for a report on thermostats, sprinkler heads and space-heater policy after a sprinkler head failed and parts of the courthouse registered uneven temperatures; staff also reported progress on jail cell conversions and final pay application for the HHS building.
Peoria County facilities staff briefed the county’s Facilities Committee on a recent sprinkler-head failure, uneven heating across the courthouse and progress on two capital projects during the committee’s Jan. 16 meeting.
The committee’s facilities lead said the sprinkler failure occurred in an unventilated storage closet and staff found ceiling areas with no insulation. "There is no ventilation in that room," facilities staff member Calvin said, adding crews will add insulation before closing the ceiling. He said the failed device was a sprinkler head rather than a burst pipe.
Committee members repeatedly asked for concrete follow-up. Jimmy, a committee member, called space heaters "a fire hazard" and urged the county to remove them from courthouse workspaces. "I do not think we should be having any space heaters allowed in the courthouse, period," he said. Others said removing heaters without first verifying room temperatures and thermostat function would create workplace problems for employees.
Committee members directed facilities staff to check thermostats via the county automation system and to provide a report on preventive maintenance and recent facility walkthroughs. "We can check thermostats through our automation system," Calvin said; committee members asked for a written update within about a month.
Scott, a committee member, described the recent response as prompt and emphasized the building's age and prior energy upgrades. He said earlier performance-contracting work replaced large mechanical equipment and that some components may now be reaching end of life. "Some of those things are probably coming up on their own life cycle, replacement, even with the preventative maintenance that we do," he said.
On capital projects, Heather, a county projects staff member, reported the jail cell conversion from monolithic to modular is partially complete: "We've completed a 110 units for a total of $65,000," she said. Heather said that, if per-unit costs stay the same, the remaining fiscal-24 budget could fund additional units and that unused fiscal-24 funds would roll into fiscal 25. She also said the HHS building is finished for occupancy and the county is waiting on a final pay application from contractor River City.
Committee members asked for several follow-ups: an inspection report on sprinkler heads and piping life across the building; verification of thermostats and a preventive-maintenance schedule for the last six months; and a formal policy or plan to address space heaters and electrical-safety risks. Several members suggested engaging an outside vendor to test thermostats where accuracy is in question.
The discussion included operational detail and direction but produced no formal committee votes; staff were tasked with returning information, cost estimates and inspection findings at a future meeting.
The committee then moved to its scheduled resolutions.
