Commissioners delegate authority to facilities director to finalize Johnson Controls Metisys pilot, add preproduction agreement

Commissioners voted to give the facilities director delegated authority to negotiate and execute an agreement with Johnson Controls (JCI) to make Walla Walla County an alpha test site for Metisys, JCI's building‑controls platform.

Facilities Director Rob Grandstaff said the vendor would install software and provide a server and upgraded controls; most installation work would be done by JCI engineers, he told the board, and county staff involvement should be limited to coordination and minimal IT oversight. Commissioners asked for clarity about who would hold signing authority; the motion explicitly delegated authority to the facilities director.

Commissioners also sought assurances that the pilot would not unduly burden already‑stretched staff. Grandstaff said JCI would cover installation costs that the county otherwise planned to fund, effectively advancing the upgrade by a year and providing some equipment in exchange for being a test site.

Later in the meeting, staff noted an omitted document (a preproduction product‑release agreement) that was not included when the morning motion was presented. The board voted to modify the earlier authorization to include the preproduction product‑release agreement, binding that agreement to the Sourcewell contract terms referenced in the original motion.

Quote: "Whether we choose to enter this agreement or not, for me I would like to see that we have an opportunity to do it," Rob Grandstaff said. "Johnson Controls would be incurring costs on their end to allow us to be able to do that."