County maintenance director recommends boiler and domestic hot‑water replacement; CIP funds available

Justin Mann, director of maintenance and grounds, told commissioners the county’s boiler and domestic hot‑water systems are aging and recommended a modified Option D that would replace three aging boilers and the domestic hot‑water unit with three interlinked high‑efficiency boilers, new storage tanks, water‑softening at the boiler inlet and updated pumps and mixing valves. He said Matrix Consulting Engineers provided estimates and that those historical estimates have typically been within about 10 percent of bid results.

From a funding standpoint, the committee’s financial representative reported the county’s capital improvement fund has $633,002.86 available and anticipated a fund balance above policy targets that would allow the county to pursue the project this year. Commissioners discussed control system upgrades, a 15 percent contingency in estimates, and the potential for unforeseen plumbing work; the maintenance director said the project team hopes to complete construction before heating season and will solicit bids from several local and statewide contractors.

Commissioners emphasized the need to proceed to formal bid openings before the board authorizes expenditure. "Once we have that bid, those bid openings will come forward and you are going to have to approve that bid for that amount," the finance representative said. No final appropriation was made at this meeting; staff were directed to prepare bidding documents and a timeline for formal bid award and board approval.