Brown County approves purchase of two new jail air‑conditioning units

Brown County commissioners approved the purchase of two new air‑conditioning units for the county jail after staff advised that multiple components in the existing 13‑year‑old system were failing.

Staff member told the commission that condenser coils in the kitchen and evaporative coils in D‑wing were failing and that repair estimates ranged from about $26,000 to $42,000 per unit. "To replace them both, the cheapest bid I've got is $52,004.20," the staff member said, and added the county had received four bids overall and that the lowest replacement bids came from a vendor transcribed in the record as "part of Texas." The staff member recommended a full replacement rather than repeated repairs because separate components were failing in each unit.

Committee member moved to approve purchase of "2 new ones," and Steven Laquay seconded the motion. The meeting transcript records commissioners asked those in favor to "raise your right hand" and the chair/reader called for the vote; the transcript does not include a roll‑call or a numerical tally. The staff member noted that the recommended vendor currently services the county's system and offered the lowest bid alternatives.

Commissioners also discussed energy efficiency. A committee member asked whether modern units would have higher SEER ratings; staff replied they would be more efficient than the county's 13‑year‑old equipment. Funding for the work was discussed briefly: staff indicated roughly $80,000 in a budget line that was not otherwise allocated to a specific project.

The commission approved the purchase and directed staff to proceed with procurement from the recommended bidder as budgeted. The record does not show subsequent implementation timelines or vendor contract numbers; those details were not captured in the provided transcript.