County seeks repairs for courthouse heating system after thermostats fail; quotes from Johnson Controls and Comfort Systems discussed

Commissioners heard from facilities staff that multiple thermostats in the Granite County Courthouse are not functioning and that some areas are currently controlled only by the central boiler.

A county maintenance speaker said, “A lot of the thermostats, especially the ones within the Third Floor, are nonfunctional. So they're running off controlled by the boiler itself. So there's no way to adjust it.” The same speaker later said the boiler “is in good shape,” and that the immediate problem is room-level thermostat controls and circulation to upper floors.

Two separate proposals were discussed: a repair/thermostat-calibration package associated with Johnson Controls and a separate proposal from Comfort Systems USA. A meeting participant suggested inviting the vendors to appear on Zoom or in person so the board could ask questions before authorizing work. Staff said both firms had visited and were preparing quotes; one staffer said they would print the two quotes and place the item on next week’s agenda so the board could authorize repairs.

Commissioners expressed concern about the sheriff’s office heating (portable heaters were in use) and about water intrusion near the third floor that could be affecting equipment. The board directed staff to add the HVAC repairs and printed vendor quotes to the next meeting agenda for a decision. The board also asked that staff check whether warranties or existing service agreements (the county currently has a contract with Johnson Controls) cover some of the corrective work.

No formal vote was recorded on repair authorization at this meeting; the board gave direction to staff to obtain final quotes, invite vendor representatives if needed, and return with a recommendation at the next meeting.