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Belknap County advances jail upgrades and facility repairs, awards HVAC and headstone contracts
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Summary
County maintenance reported progress on a sheriff's fencing and forthcoming jail lock upgrades, presented RFP results for HVAC replacement, and the board approved contracts to replace aging air-conditioning units and 41 cemetery headstones; $424,734.06 remains available for jail infrastructure work.
John Bost, the county maintenance lead, told the Belknap County Board of Commissioners that several facilities projects are underway and on schedule, including a sheriff’s fencing project nearing completion and a three‑day flooring job for the sheriff’s office set for the week of May 4. "The sheriff's fencing project is underway and progressing as planned," Bost said.
Bost said new locking hardware for the jail has been ordered and that preliminary engineering for larger jail infrastructure repairs is complete; he expects full designs and an RFP in early May. He reported $424,734.06 remains available from a $700,000 allocation for the jail infrastructure project.
The board considered RFP results to replace two aging HVAC systems (both original to 1996). Bids were: RTH Mechanical ($72,064.50), Mechanical ($51,086.00) and KPMB ($57,260). Bost recommended the lower bid from Mechanical based on past work. The board moved, seconded and approved proceeding with the recommended contractor.
Bost also presented bids to replace 41 granite cemetery headstones, listing Lake Street Memorial ($17,780), Harry Brothers Monument (Concord) ($12,812.50) and BDC Cemetery ($23,124). He said most of the earliest stones have names and that replacement stones are being matched to records; the board voted to accept the recommended bid.
The commissioners did not debate the motions at length; votes on the bids passed by voice vote. The county will publish contract details and next steps once agreements are finalized.
Looking ahead, Bost said he will advertise RFPs for jail infrastructure work once the design is finalized and will begin ordering materials for the lock upgrades when deliveries arrive.
