Commissioners hear Public Works updates

Whitman County commissioners discussed public works projects coming up in the future at a workshop session Monday morning in Colfax.

Mark Storey, Whitman County Public Works director, said the Public Works department began the repair planning process for parts of the Public Service Building.

The Geo-technology report showed a pocket of uncompacted fill underneath a portion of the building that has been settling since at least 1974.

Storey said they are still in the process of planning the repair.

Brandy Dean, Whitman County facilities manager, said she received a complaint from a member of the public about the boards covering part of the front of the Public Service Building.

The person who filed the complaint had the idea to paint the boards the same color of the brick, Dean said.

Storey said the county had planned to finish construction on the front of the building at the same time as a project in the back of the building, but he now recommends the front portion be completed as soon as possible.

He said Public Works might be able to finish the project this season.

Storey also said the department has plans to construct a new office for the solid waste facility. He said they are working with a contractor and has hopes for it to cost in the $150,000 range.

The present office has had functional issues since it was built, Storey said. The original plans showed three bays for crushed glass and recycled materials, and the office was added later.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system took air from the contamination site and pulled it in the office space, Storey said.

The Whitman County waste transfer station also received quotes for fireproofing paint, Storey said.

The spray apply was quoted $45,000 and the domestic paint coating was around $60,000, he said.

“We’re backing up now and reexamining an alternate way of doing it,” Storey said.

He talked about the possibility of using a fire sensor. The sensor would give the county advance warning if something were to catch on fire.