Jail expansion permit ready; admin HVAC bid comes in over budget, county to rethink approach

Kootenai County facilities staff on Feb. 25 updated commissioners on three capital projects: the jail pod expansion, a generator transfer‑switch replacement, and an administrative building HVAC project.

Why it matters: the jail expansion and HVAC work affect jail capacity, safety systems and county administrative functionality; bid outcomes and change orders affect project budgets and scheduling.

Facilities Director Jeff Vohler (transcript: Wohler/Vohler) told the board Sletten Construction plans to mobilize for the jail pod expansion with construction start targeted April 1. He said the City of Coeur d'Alene permit is ready for pickup and that long‑lead items have been ordered. Vohler reported the county’s permit costs were about $36,000 under the amount estimated in the project budget; that savings will partly offset a change order the county must seek this afternoon to add ADA‑required curb work in a non‑construction area, which he said is about $50,000.

On a separate facilities project, Vohler said 100% drawings for a jail generator transfer‑switch replacement were complete and a Request for Bid (RFB) goes out the next day, with the bid opening scheduled for March 25.

The administrative HVAC project opened only a single bid from Dardan Construction, Vohler said, and that bid was significantly higher than the county’s design‑phase rough orders of magnitude. The project budget was described in the presentation as $2,000,000 total (including design fees). Vohler reported roughly $280,000 in design fees already committed, and said that, as presented, the project currently appears about $400,000 over the allocated budget. He told commissioners he plans to consult additional mechanical contractors and consider sequencing or scope changes to reduce evening/weekend premium labor and, if necessary, recommend rejecting the current bid and rebidding with revised specifications.

Vohler said staff will return with recommendations after additional consultations and value‑engineering efforts. The jail pod change order for ADA site work was noted as an item to be considered for formal approval later in the board’s business meeting.