County Jail Needs New HVAC System

Commissioners on Tuesday voted to begin the process of replacing the HVAC system at the Crawford County Jail, a measure that should save on repair costs and install a modern system.

The county has spent more than $68,000 on repairs in the last seven years.

Brad Dicus, who is the head of maintenance at the jail, said the current HVAC has been operational since 2003 and uses a geothermal unit that was supposed to save the county money. 

Since 2011, the sheriff’s department showed that repair costs alone have paid for more than half of a new system.

Due to the system being built specifically for the county jail, some of the parts must be specially manufactured for Crawford County. Brad said it can take up to 10 weeks to receive the parts.

“They have to shut down production to make them,” he explained. 

When the county ordered a compressor for the system, Sheriff Darin Layman said they were told that was the last time the company would manufacture it.

“This is the only company that makes it,” Layman said. “When it goes out, the HVAC goes out.”

Layman said jail residents will become destructive if the temperatures are too hot or cold. 

Mike Pendleton, a retired sheriff’s deputy who volunteers his time to assist with maintenance projects, told commissioners that when the jail was built and began housing federal prisoners, they were instructed “to keep their bellies full.”  But Pendleton said the day is coming when the HVAC system will fail and federal inmates will be removed from the facility, thus taking away income. As of Tuesday, there were 25 federal inmates being housed.

Pendleton said since the day the jail opened, they have had to “reverse engineer” multiple items on the building. 

“This is the last thing (that needs to be fixed,” he said.

Pendleton said he once observed two letters on file from local contractors urging the commission at the time to choose a different HVAC system, but those concerns were apparently dismissed.

Commissioners approved the first phase of a project, which will cost $8,250. 

Layman said Malicoat Winslow Engineers P.C. will provide professional engineering design services in conjunction with the replacement of the HVAC.

Malicoat will oversee the HVAC design and specifications; electrical design; develop permit documents; provide three site visits; advertise for contract proposals and review them; assist in selecting a contractor; shop the drawing review; pay request approval and coordination with the owner.

The three site visits include initial meeting, pre-bid and final inspection.