Kootenai County staff told commissioners at a Jan. 6 status meeting that the proposed coroner autopsy lab design has come in over the amount the county had allocated and that staff were recommending a set of value‑engineering changes while retaining several key items.

Jeff Vohler, the county’s director of buildings and grounds, said the initial guaranteed maximum price (GMP) based on the design exceeded the earlier budget estimate and that designers and the construction manager at risk had identified options to reduce costs. “We would propose we take $245,000 of those savings,” Vohler said, summarizing recommended value‑engineering decisions.

Vohler said the initial concept‑level budget used for planning (from an earlier LTA estimate) had been lower, and that the GMP initially came in roughly $600,000 over that concept estimate. After reviewing and accepting a number of value‑engineering items, the revised position, Vohler said, left the project about $296,910 over the funds currently allocated to the project. He asked the board to consider covering that shortfall; he recommended adding an additional $15,000 contingency to cover anticipated minor errors or shipping costs.

Staff detailed common value‑engineering items: switching to metal siding in one addition (about $42,000 saved), removing one of two cabinet banks (about $6,000), scaling back automated doors (about $45,000), deleting lead‑lined windows until a later phase (about $15,000), delaying interior finishes in the sally port (about $17,000), and choosing an FRP wall finish rather than tile in restrooms (about $3,200). Vohler said the design team reported roughly $256,000 in potential savings and staff proposed accepting about $245,000 of that total.

Vohler and the coroner’s team also described elements staff argued should remain in the first phase: a more substantial HVAC system and an isolation lab to meet ventilation and accreditation requirements, two coolers (an isolation cooler and a regular body cooler), observation rooms so law enforcement or attorneys can observe autopsies, and a separate approach off Dalton Avenue to avoid conflicts with the adjacent RV dump driveway.

Coroner Dr. Duke Johnson and staff identified a short‑term option to maintain autopsy capability during construction: converting an existing kitchen space used during work release, which already has tile floors, washable walls and drainage. Dr. Johnson said converting that area would require adding a sink, ventilation and lighting but could make the county operable for autopsy work while construction proceeds.

On funding, Vohler said the additional money to cover the overrun could come from the county’s five‑year facilities plan or from fund balance; commissioners discussed the options and one said the facilities master plan bucket was the preferred source. Staff also noted an ongoing reliance on Spokane for autopsy services — including multi‑month turnaround for final reports — and suggested that a local lab could both improve turnaround time for urgent cases and generate revenue if coroners in North Idaho send cases to Kootenai County once the facility is operable.

Vohler said he would present the formal GMP from the construction manager for the board’s formal approval later that afternoon; the board agreed to return for that vote. No formal appropriation or final funding decision was made during the Jan. 6 morning session.

Next steps: staff will present the formal GMP for approval in the afternoon session and will return with any final funding requests and contract documents.