Finney County approves lease-purchase financing and awards bids for HVAC upgrades at four county buildings

The Finney County Board of Commissioners on a unanimous vote authorized a lease-purchase financing arrangement to pay for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning improvements at four county buildings and approved contractor bids to install the work.

The commission adopted Resolution 19-20-25, which authorizes Finney County to enter a lease-purchase transaction to pay the cost of acquiring, equipping and installing HVAC improvements for the administration building, courthouse, county attorney's office and the library. Interim County Administrator Gary Meager told the board the financing structure will be finalized after staff consults with financial institutions and that the board will review a recommended lease-purchase agreement at its Aug. 18 meeting.

The resolution and related project design follow a consultant study and subsequent design by Integrated Consulting Engineers (ICE). Meager said ICE completed the designs and administered a public bidding process; sealed bids were opened July 10, 2025.

ICE and county staff split the work into two packages. For Project A (the administration building and the library) the county accepted the low bid from Tetro Plumbing in the amount of $817,957. For Project B (the courthouse and the county attorney's office) the county accepted the low bid from Central Consolidated Incorporated in the amount of $1,425,700. The county administrator said the engineers reviewed all bids and recommended proceeding with the low bidders for each package.

Meager and other commissioners discussed contract timing and performance terms. Meager said the county expects the construction window to begin roughly in August or September and run through the end of the year; he noted the contracts include a $2,500-per-day liquidated-damages clause if work extends into the cold months. The administrator also said the major HVAC units purchased are Samsung units and that the county has a 10-year warranty on those units; warranty terms for workmanship will be subject to the contractors' agreements.

Commissioners framed the project as addressing what Meager described as an emergency condition: prolonged HVAC interruptions have caused intermittent closures and operational difficulty at the courthouse, the library and other county offices. Meager said the project is intended to restore reliable heating and cooling and to minimize the risk of building systems failing during winter.

Votes and motions: the commission first read the resolution aloud and then adopted Resolution 19-20-25 by roll call vote; Commissioners Hoots, Baskin, Schulz, German and Jones each voted "Aye." The separate motion to accept the low bids for Project A and Project B (Tetro Plumbing and Central Consolidated Incorporated) also carried on a voice vote after a motion and second.

The board authorized the chairman to sign documents necessary to proceed with financing and to accept the contracts. Meager said staff will return Aug. 18 with lease-purchase documents for final authorization and with any lender proposals.

Because the bid packages were separated, the county discussed contractor capacity. Meager said some bidders submitted bids on both packages but indicated they would only accept one if awarded, citing the compressed schedule and workforce limits.

No protests or public objections to the awards were recorded in the meeting minutes presented to the commission.

Notes: dollar amounts, bidder names, warranty terms, and the liquidated damages figure are taken from the bid presentation and commissioners' discussion at the meeting.