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Commissioners weigh $11 million jail HVAC replacement against lower-cost alternatives
Summary
Board members and staff debated full replacement of the county jail—s HVAC system at an estimated $11 million versus piecemeal rebuilds and single-chiller replacement options; facilities manager Vince and vendors provided competing quotes and the board asked staff to present clear A/B/C options and financing pathways.
County staff, the sheriff—s office and commissioners spent a prolonged portion of the Aug. 13 work session weighing how to address failing HVAC equipment at the county jail.
Vince, the jail facilities manager, presented vendor estimates and a narrower alternative to the full replacement recommended in an earlier Andrews report. He said a Comfort Systems rebuild of two 35-year-old chillers came with a quoted price of about $1,389,783 but with limited replacement of some components; he also reported a Mechanical Services Inc. offer to install a brand‑new 450‑ton chiller with a 10‑year warranty for $332,224. "I reached out to Comfort Systems ... their price was $1,389,783," Vince said; he added that a new chiller option from Mechanical Services Incorporated was substantially lower.
Board members noted that an earlier third‑party assessment recommended total system replacement and placed that estimate near $11 million. Commissioners asked for a clear menu of options with pros, cons, warranties and finance paths. Commissioner Grama urged prompt action, saying the committee had made a recommendation and that delay in bringing the matter to the full board was negligent; another commissioner pressed that options be presented in plain A/B/C terms so the board can evaluate risks and costs.
County staff said they were pursuing two parallel approaches: seek financing options to fund a full $11 million replacement while also evaluating targeted rebuilds or component replacements that could be done sooner and at lower near‑term cost. Staff said a contractor estimated work could start within four to five weeks with a 10–12 week lead time for new cooling towers; an initial package of priority work was estimated at about $1.5 million.
No final board vote was recorded in the work session. Commissioners asked staff to reconvene with the sheriff, the facilities manager and the vendors to produce a comparative package of alternatives, including estimated warranties, life‑cycle costs and financing scenarios. Several members said they will expect that package to be placed on an upcoming agenda for a formal decision.
What happens next: staff will finalize comparative options, explore financing arrangements and return to the board with a clear recommendation and associated risk analysis.
