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County board approves $798,000 sheriff’s building HVAC replacement, uses federal ARPA‑era fund for initial payment
Summary
Ashland County Board approved a roughly $798,000 contract with Jamar to replace end‑of‑life HVAC equipment in the county jail, funding an initial payment from leftover LACTF/ARPA funds and leaving financing of the remainder to the 2026 budget process; a related bonding resolution was removed from the agenda.
The Ashland County Board on Tuesday approved a contract to replace the HVAC system in the sheriff’s department jail building and to begin payment with county cash from a federal aid pool.
Finance committee recommended accepting Jamar’s bid, and the board approved the contract during the regular agenda. John Cottony, a Jamar representative, described the project as a full replacement of boilers, air handlers and building controls and said the new design will use a chilled‑water system with redundant equipment to remove single points of failure in the current 1996 system.
Supervisor Kinney (finance committee lead) told the board the equipment is essentially at “end of life,” and committee members concluded it was more cost‑effective to replace the full system now than continue piecemeal repairs. Kinney said bids were solicited from three firms and Jamar was selected as the consistent, local partner.
The county plans to pay an initial portion of the contract from $1.1 million that is currently available in the LACTF (Local Aid for Tribes and Counties) money — funds the county identified previously for joint dispatch but no longer needs for that purpose. Kinney said that cash plus the county’s unrestricted fund balance would place the county at its internal target fund balance; the board will decide during the 2026 budget whether to borrow or use more cash for the remainder.
During the meeting John Cottony explained technical reasons to replace the system, including EPA restrictions on refrigerants and the need to replace original digital controllers and boilers. He estimated energy savings from new boilers and chilled‑water equipment but said the county would receive more precise projections later.
A motion to adopt the contract was moved by Bill (board supervisor) and seconded by Supervisor Laura; the board approved the motion by voice vote.
After the contract vote, the board removed a separate bonding resolution (R07‑2025‑1509) that would have authorized borrowing for the project. Finance committee member Pat moved to remove the resolution from the agenda; the motion was seconded and carried. County staff said the resolution was unnecessary now that the board approved an initial cash payment and deferred a final financing decision to the budget process.
Why it matters: The jail’s HVAC serves critical functions for safety, operations and compliance; replacing a failing system reduces the risk of future emergency repairs and potential temperature‑control issues. The initial use of LACTF/ARPA funds covers about half of the project cost, while the county will weigh borrowing versus using additional cash during its 2026 budget process.
Ending: The county will proceed with contracting Jamar to do the work and return during the budget process with a recommendation on whether to borrow for the remaining balance or draw more on restricted/unrestricted cash.
