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Durham County approves contract for detention center boiler design after staff report on aging systems
Summary
As part of the consent agenda, commissioners approved an allocation of $149,758 for design and construction management related to replacement and resizing of boilers at the county detention center; staff described the boilers as 30 years old and part of an aging, continuously operating facility.
Durham County commissioners approved, as part of the consent agenda, a contract worth $149,758 to provide design and construction management services for replacement and resizing of steam boilers at the county detention center.
Assistant Director for General Services Sean Sotaka told the board the boilers are roughly 30 years old and were not included in a 2012 performance contract that upgraded much of the jail's HVAC equipment. He said one boiler has broken beyond repair and that the county plans to "resize the boilers" to match reduced heating loads created by prior energy-efficiency upgrades.
Sotaka said the $149,758 figure covers design and construction management services by O'Brien Atkins; the procurement of the boilers themselves and construction costs were not described in the transcript.
Commissioner Wendy Jacobs highlighted a series of recent capital and maintenance expenditures at the detention center while discussing the consent item: she cited more than $3,330,000 for HVAC repair in 2024, $120,000 for a chiller, $472,000 for door replacements, $78,000 for fire equipment, roughly $370,000 for body and car camera systems, and about $500,000 for ongoing maintenance in the past year. Jacobs used these figures to stress that commissioners have regularly authorized needed repairs and upgrades to the aging facility.
Commissioner Burton asked the facility's age; Sotaka said the detention center opened in about 1994 and has operated continuously, which contributes to systems wearing out. Sotaka described the building as "24/7, never shuts down," explaining why original systems are failing.
The consent agenda, which included this item (listed as item 25-0051 in the agenda materials), was moved and seconded during the meeting and approved by voice vote; the transcript records the motion as "Moved by Ashley" and second by Commissioner Valentine with "All in favor say aye." No roll-call tally or individual vote record was included in the transcript.
The transcript does not provide full procurement details for the boilers purchase, a construction schedule, or a total project estimate beyond the recorded design/management fee.
