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Highway department reports failing air handlers, monthly bills and bridge cleanup progress
Summary
Highway staff reported several failing HVAC units in county buildings, outlined monthly expenditures (about $655,009 reported), listed recent equipment purchases and roadwork, and updated the committee on a near-complete bridge project with one change order for deeper piling.
Highway department staff told the Richland County Public Works Standing Committee that several HVAC air-handling units serving county buildings have recently failed and that the department expects a significant replacement expense.
The presenter said three of 10 outside air-handling units are currently operational — down from roughly six to seven last year — and that the units were installed in 1987. Staff described rising indoor temperatures and said they will solicit bids to evaluate repair or replacement; one estimate discussed indicated that replacing chillers and associated systems could cost in excess of $100,000.
On finances, staff presented the monthly bills packet and said the month’s total was $655,008.96; larger items noted in the packet included an annual excavator lease payment, and a used 2023 Chevrolet 3,500 pickup truck purchased to replace an older unit at about $50,000. The packet also listed an item recorded as “Campus Bridal” for $222,009.27; staff said the monthly listing is an initial report and that a refined, trackable spreadsheet summarizing monthly expenditures and revenue flows would be provided to the committee at the next meeting.
Department work highlights and procurement processes discussed:
- Road and shoulder work: Staff described recent shouldering, culvert installations, mowing, and patching on county roads and state highways, noting coordination with township and state crews on larger projects.
- Quarry materials: Committee members asked how quarry suppliers are selected for gravel and stone. Staff explained the department receives annual price sheets from multiple quarries and typically selects material from the quarry closest to the work site or that offers the best price; only large state-funded projects are formally bid out for material.
- Bridge update: Staff said a bridge project is nearing completion with final walk-through expected in July. The only change order was for additional piling depth after crews encountered softer soils than indicated in initial borings.
Staff said they are building a simple monthly-expenditure spreadsheet for committee review and will provide a functioning copy at the next meeting. The presenter urged the committee that rising prices and flat tax levies mean department budgets are increasingly constrained.
The committee’s reports and questions reflected interest in verifying procurement transparency, reviewing detailed expenditure records, and scheduling HVAC replacement work.
There was no formal vote on the report items. Staff said they will return with refined financial tracking and bid documents for any major capital replacements.
