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Humboldt County board adds plumbing and heating repairs to agenda after courthouse leak
Summary
Board added a late agenda item to address leaks and heating problems in the courthouse. Staff described a condensate-return leak near a hallway, immediate patching and longer-term options including installing an exterior valve to control a hot stairwell radiator; repairs are underway.
The Humboldt County board voted to add and discuss a plumbing and heating item after members reported a leak and persistent overheating in a stairway radiator.
"I took the patch out, saw what was leaking. It was on the condensate return line," said Speaker 4, describing work done this week to isolate the leak and keep interior temperatures stable. Speaker 4 said he shut the affected radiator down and kept the boiler running over the weekend to maintain 85 degrees downstairs and about 75 degrees in offices.
Speaker 6 said workers found a sprung leak behind a wall near the vault and that a radiator on the stair landing is encased in brick with marble facing, which limits access. "We sprung a leak downstairs behind the wall in the vault, and, obviously, wasn't noticed for a while," Speaker 6 said.
Board members discussed a practical repair path that would avoid altering the building's façade where possible. One option under consideration is adding a control valve on the feed line outside before it enters the building so the stairway radiator can be regulated without removing marble. Speaker 4 said removing the marble and brick could damage the finish: "I don't know if you can do that. I wouldn't touch that."
Officials said they expect the new boiler tuning and controls to yield considerable gas savings this winter, though no cost estimate or contractor bid was presented at the meeting. Speaker 4 noted the building contains many radiators and connections, saying the system includes "90 some radiators and probably 700 connections," language the board treated as an approximate count.
The board approved adding the repair item to the agenda and heard that a contractor is on site to patch the immediate leak. No formal funding authorization or multi-day construction schedule was adopted during the meeting; members said further repairs will proceed as needed and be reported in subsequent meetings.
