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County reports Clean Heat electrification 50% complete; retrofit surprises add costs
Summary
Pitkin County said its library and Health & Human Services building electrification projects are about half finished, supported by a $3 million DOLA grant within a roughly $7.5 million total budget; staff flagged an unplanned VAV terminal box replacement estimate (~$480,000) and crane/timing issues for heat pump lifts as schedule risks.
County construction and climate staff updated commissioners on progress of the Clean Heat project, reporting roughly 50% completion at both the library and the Health & Human Services building and confirming a $3 million award from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Climate Resilience Challenge. Michael Port, the county's climate action analyst, said the total project budget is approximately $7.5 million and that construction accounts for about $6.5 million of that sum.
Kevin Warner, assets and construction management, described physical work underway: new support rails for five roof‑mounted heat pumps at the library, a poured slab and pads for heat pumps at HHS, and the imminent arrival of large HVAC equipment. Staff said the HHS heat pumps are scheduled to be set with a crane in early August and tested by mid‑September. Warner cautioned that retrofits can reveal additional needs; engineers identified about 37 aging VAV terminal boxes at the library that are near the end of life and may require replacement or refurbishment. "We're getting pricing... the cost estimate is about $480,000 for 37 of those boxes," Warner said.
Staff said the project remains on budget overall to date (about $3.5 million spent of the construction budget) and that DOLA reporting is current. Commissioners asked whether existing maintenance funds or the general fund will cover the VAV work if needed; staff said they are evaluating reallocation options and will include the matter in 2027 capital planning if necessary. The library team told the board that variable temperatures and space‑heater use have affected patron comfort during construction, which shaped the urgency of addressing the VAV controllers.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 2511; topfinish SEG 3367.
