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Lancaster County council reviews scaled-down Burns building renovation; members press staff on generators, plumbing and HVAC
Summary
County staff presented a trimmed design-build estimate for renovating the Burns building to house fleet maintenance and IT, lowering construction costs from an architect's $3.4 million concept to a $2.3 million package (about $1.6M without a pole barn). Council asked staff to re-check plumbing, HVAC zoning and the backup-generator estimate before final approval.
Lancaster County officials on Tuesday reviewed a reduced-scope plan to renovate the Burns building for fleet maintenance and county IT, with staff saying the revised estimate cuts roughly $1 million from earlier concept figures.
Budget director Tim (presenting) told council the team worked with a local on-call contractor to pare down the architect's concept estimate by removing landscaping allowances, sidewalks, exterior signage, some demolition and furniture and trimming contingency. He said the revised construction estimate is about $2.3 million and that removing the proposed pole barn would reduce the total to about $1.6 million.
The trimmed budget retains geotechnical work, slab rework and revised architect fees; staff increased the furniture, fixtures and equipment line to $160,000 after a contractor indicated the original $60,000 was underpriced. "We trimmed the estimate line by line and focused on what we believe to be essential," Tim said.
Council members pressed staff on several individual line items. Mr. Graham questioned a $100,000 low-voltage/IT allowance and whether the county would perform some IT upgrades using existing departmental budgets; Brandon, who oversees fleet operations, said Scott (IT) had already trimmed that line to $100,000 and expected to cover part through current funds. Council members expressed strong concern about removing the backup generator: staff had originally listed a $30,000 allowance for a generator, and several members said the garage and service bays should have emergency power for vehicle repairs after storms. "If the sheriff brings patrol cars in or heavy equipment, Brandon's got to be able to work on it," one council member said.
Council debated an $48,000 interior-doors line, $30,000 in toilet upgrades and plumbing allowances. Brandon explained HVAC zone-control wiring problems in the building: multiple thermostats and zone controls were disconnected or tied together, causing some spaces to run very cold while others run warm. "At one point one air conditioner on the roof didn't work because there was no thermostat hooked to it," he said; staff suggested targeted thermostat/zone repairs could lower some estimated costs.
Councilmembers urged staff to balance cost savings against the risk of deferring necessary work. Miss McGriff said she favored moving forward but asked staff to confirm whether plumbing issues would create larger expenses later. Mr. Willis recommended keeping the pole barn in the package and returning a refined estimate reflecting further mechanical and plumbing review. No formal vote to approve construction funding was taken; staff said next steps include more detailed contractor estimates and, if needed, an ordinance to amend the budget through the county's three-reading process.
The council did not set a construction start date; staff said additional diligence on plumbing and HVAC would precede final budget decisions. The council also asked staff to explore appropriate generator sizing and bring more detailed mechanical quotes back to a future meeting.
