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Valley County buildings and grounds director reports water intrusion, jail shower failures and upcoming bids
Summary
At the Feb. 10 Valley County meeting, Buildings and Grounds Director Klingen described drainage and leak problems at county facilities, extensive tile damage in jail showers that may require temporary closures, heating and laundry equipment issues, and an imminent bid deadline and walkthrough for transfer-station improvements.
Buildings and Grounds Director Klingen told the Valley County board on Feb. 10 that county facilities are facing multiple maintenance and safety issues, including water intrusion near the Maritime Building, degraded tile in jail showers that may require showers to be taken out of service, problems with several heat pumps and an oil-fired heater at the Lake Fork shop, and an upcoming bid opening for transfer-station improvements.
The most immediate safety concern Klingen described was standing water and a blocked drain near a public sidewalk outside an unnamed county building. "Our drain out front is drained across the sidewalk and causes a bit of a mess," Klingen said. He said crews have coned and signed the area and placed ice melt and sand, and that a French drain had been installed previously to reduce future problems. Klingen said a contractor is scheduled to install a sump pump behind an interior wall at the Maritime Building after recent leaks; he said the plumber was delayed by illness but that the county expects the work to occur this week.
Klingen described a related interior wet area in a crawlspace on the east side of the building and said he was planning to "put at least 1, maybe I have to put 2 back in there to try and keep that water." He said the county removed damaged drywall back to the studs and will complete cosmetic repairs after the sump(s) are installed.
Klingen told commissioners the jail is experiencing "quite extensive" tile failure in at least one shower stall. "We have to have tile removed and redone to make sure it stays waterproof," he said, and added that the work will take showers out of service while it cures. The county chair asked whether anything other than tile could be used; Klingen said alternatives include textured concrete, epoxy floors or fiberglass liners but that the existing tiled installs were likely chosen originally for durability. Klingen said the county would coordinate with jail staff to reduce population or limit new admissions while work proceeds.
Klingen also reported on laundry equipment and heating systems used in county facilities. He said the county needs higher-capacity washers ("these will do 50 pounds") and may need to run a gas line and increase vent ducting to support them. He said the jail population normally ranges around "45, 50 people," which is driving the need for larger-capacity machines. Klingen reported ongoing work to service roughly "10 or 12" heat pumps around county buildings and said one thermostat in a second-floor courtroom/jury room may be malfunctioning. He said the oil heater stack at the Lake Fork shop blew out and that Viking Services of Meridian handles waste-oil systems there; he reported the stack measured about 15 feet.
On procurement and planning, Klingen said the county has a walkthrough for the transfer-station improvement project scheduled for "10:00" the following day for any interested contractors, and that the bid opening is set for "the 20" (as stated in the meeting). He said Great West is handling the bidding process and maintaining a bidders list. Klingen also said he has an RFP ready for a strategic plan for the fairgrounds and that the item is on the agenda for March 10; he indicated the county will publish a summary in the paper and may extend the time for submissions if necessary.
Other facility notes included patching and snow-plow repairs to parking lots completed last year, a need to schedule engineering work to address drainage and parking at the Ameritadel Building before moving people in, and discussion of tile and paint flaking related to humidity in jail shower areas. Klingen said he had received some public inquiries and that the county has had coverage of the transfer-station project in local outlets (the Statesman and the Star News). "Fingers crossed," he said about contractor interest for the transfer-station work.
No formal motions or votes were recorded during Klingen's report. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about locations and timing during his update; Klingen supplied specifics where available and repeatedly emphasized coordination with contractors and internal staff to limit service interruptions while repairs proceed.
