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Kootenai County facilities director seeks direction on lower-cost furnishings, radios need further pricing
Summary
Facilities Director Jeff Vohler presented two lower-cost furniture lines for the new Justice Building and reported testing showed radio coverage issues requiring more repeaters than budgeted.
Jeff Vohler, Kootenai County’s director of facilities, asked commissioners on Feb. 11 for guidance on furniture selections for the new Justice Building and updated them on radio repeater test results.
Vohler said Contract Design provided new, lower-cost concept options the week before the meeting. For staff desks, the vendor presented two options: a particle-board desk priced at about $11.30 per unit (freight included) and a thermally fused-laminate desk at about $14.25 per unit (freight included). Vohler noted the thermally fused laminate is stronger and less likely to strip screws over time. He said the county had previously considered a solid-wood, higher-end line that averaged about $2,200 per desk; the newer options reduced that cost substantially.
Commissioners and staff leaned toward the thermally fused-laminate option but asked for material samples before a final procurement decision. Vohler said Contract Design requested a quick decision to meet a delivery timeline that targets installation by June; commissioners directed staff to obtain samples and bring a final recommendation back on the record.
On seating, Vohler said the vendor proposed cheaper chair lines that reduce per-unit costs from roughly $500 to $166 for task chairs and $246 for conference chairs. Staff and the consultant, David Mendez of Turner & Townsend, said department-specific needs (for example, law-enforcement belt clearance) mean armrest and feature options may vary by department and will be handled with departmental input.
Vohler also updated commissioners on internal radio coverage testing tied to a roughly $120,000 budget for indoor radio repeaters. Tests conducted after interior walls were installed showed poor performance in secure areas with concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls; Vohler said the county will solicit pricing for additional repeaters per floor and area and report back on whether the existing budget will cover the requirement.
No formal procurement motion was taken; commissioners gave tentative direction favoring the thermally fused laminate desks and requested samples and a final decision on the public record before ordering.
