County signs deal to start year of remodel projects

Whitman County commissioners kicked off a slate of major capital projects Monday by signing a series of contracts to initiate replacement of a heating and cooling system on the jailhouse.

Facilities manager Bob Reynolds presented contracts for more than $504,000 for the jail chiller.

The new chiller will replace a decades-old unit that Reynolds said costs as much as $300 a day in utility costs. Commissioner Greg Partch noted the unit has for the past several years required as much as $1,800 a month for repairs in summer months.

Reynolds said the old copper unit is so brittle it breaks down easily. He added workers had to work around the chiller when they put a new roof on the jail in 2010 because it could not be moved.

Partch said the repair firm last year said it would no longer be able to repair the machine because its age makes finding parts and repair expertise difficult.

The chiller will be installed by utility firm McKinstry under a contract through the state. Whitman County will get a loan from the state and pay it back through anticipated savings on utility costs.

Reynolds said the state will monitor utility costs for more than a year after installation. If costs do not cover loan payments, the state will call on McKinstry to pay the difference, he said.

“The energy savings should be pretty astronomical,” said Commissioner Pat O’Neill.

O’Neill said the new unit should please neighbors of the jail, who have complained about the old unit’s noise echoing down Mill Street. O’Neill said the new unit will be “whisper quiet.”

The contracts must now be approved by McKinstry and the state. Reynolds said work could begin as soon as June.

The jail chiller is one part of an estimated $906,000 in repairs commissioners plan to make this year. Also on the slate are new heating and air conditioning systems for the Public Service and Information Technology buildings, as well as new IT hardware.

Commissioners plan to borrow from the public works solid waste reserve fund to pay for the projects then reimburse the fund with anticipated property taxes from the Palouse Wind project.

By removing items out of the current expense fund, commissioners were able to pass a balanced 2012 budget.