Construction delays and groundwater issue slow Verigee project; landfill transfer to county awaits state action

County staff and the Verigee project team told the Board of Commissioners that major elements of the county’s Verigee renovation and related landfill work have advanced but that construction has been delayed by a groundwater issue and by the need for state action to transfer ownership of landfill property.

A county presenter said geothermal fields are installed at the courthouse and the Health Services Building (HSB) and that HVAC installation at the courthouse and HSB is largely complete, but final hookups remain pending. He said solar parking-canopy installation and EV-charging work are sequenced around paving, which the team expects to perform in September.

Work at the tower building is roughly 30–45% complete but paused in the boiler-room area after crews encountered unexpected groundwater while excavating below the basement floor. The presenter said the city instructed the county to bring in a professional structural engineer to evaluate the facility’s condition and confirm it is safe before resuming that portion of the work. “They have to bring on a professional engineer or structural engineer to evaluate the complete structure of the facility to make sure it's sound,” the presenter said.

Project representatives said the discovery included water with residual chlorine, prompting initial concern about leaking city supply piping; subsequent investigation indicated the presence of groundwater as well. The city addressed a valving issue it identified; the county team said the structural engineer’s assessment will recommend any corrective actions, including additional sumps or drainage, if needed.

On the landfill portion of the Verigee program — a separate but related component staff described as a priority for removing a long-term county burden — construction is ready to begin but ownership must be transferred from the state to the county before permits allow work. Staff said House Bill 44135 (a state bill effecting the transfer) passed the state House and is pending action in the Senate; county staff said they are seeking to move that transfer forward and hope for approval in August in a best-case scenario. If the transfer proceeds, staff estimated landfill construction could complete in about one year (targeting August 2026 in the best case) but noted substantial reconstruction and equipment mobilization will be required.

Regarding federal funding for the project, a project representative explained the county should be protected under recent federal rules so long as contract signing and construction began before 2025. “As long as you had a contract signed before the 2025, and that you were in construction, you are safe harbored to getting the IRA direct-pay reimbursement,” he said, and added that the county must file for reimbursement after systems are energized and operating. The representative also said while project work has been delayed, escrowed project funds have continued to earn interest and currently show more than $2,000,000 accrued above amounts already scheduled to be paid.

Commissioners asked how long the groundwater issue would delay work; project staff said the pause to address city requests and complete the structural evaluation had delayed that work roughly four weeks so far, and that some of the remaining work can continue in other areas while the city’s review is completed. Staff said contingencies are available in the project budget to cover unforeseen conditions and that project managers will seek to limit further schedule impacts.