County committee moves fire-alarm upgrade and multiple facilities fixes toward finance approval

The Lee County Facilities & Building Committee voted to send an ADS fire-alarm upgrade to the county finance committee after staff described an array of aging mechanical and electrical systems across county buildings.

County maintenance lead Eric told the committee the building’s JACE controllers and some VAV controls are obsolete, that two RTU exhaust fans are malfunctioning and that crews found 22 baseboard heaters needing valve replacements. He recommended replacing control components on a multi-year capital plan to restore compatibility and reduce recurring breakdowns.

Why it matters: the committee heard that outdated controls and damaged electronics are causing repeated alarms and system failures, increasing maintenance costs and risking service interruptions. Eric said a number of items will be submitted as work requests or capital requests so the county can purchase parts and schedule replacements.

What was decided: after staff described a shortfall on an ADS fire-alarm panel upgrade, an unnamed committee member moved that the project be sent to finance for approval to spend the needed funds; another member seconded the motion and the committee voted verbally to move the item forward. The motion authorizes referral to finance for formal budget action, not immediate expenditure.

Other notable needs and estimates raised at the meeting included: - A JACE controller replacement estimated at roughly $8,000–$12,000 per unit, with VAV component replacements expected to be substantially more and placed on a capital plan. - A reported quote increase of approximately $5,000 over the prior fire-alarm estimate (staff said the project was short-budgeted). - A potential water-softener replacement for the jail described in discussion as about $73,000; staff said the current softener is undersized and contributes to electronic valve failures. - A planned transformer swap for the new courts building set for March 7, with expected 5–6 hours of downtime and generator backup for critical services.

Eric also described operational work: Matterport scans of county buildings are complete, LED lighting replacements and flooring/painting for the health department are planned, and staff proposed leasing or buying a compact scissor lift (budgetary estimate up to $30,000) to improve safety and access for ceiling and mechanical-room work.

What happens next: the ADS upgrade was referred to the finance committee for a formal budget request and approval. Staff were asked to coordinate bringing supporting documents to the executive/finance committee next month so the matter can be processed on the usual budget cycle.

Direct quotes from the meeting include Eric’s summary of permitable capital needs and the motion to refer the ADS work: an unidentified committee member said, “I make a motion that we do this project and move it to finance for approval to spend the money to do this.”