Jail HVAC Estimated To Cost Up To $275,000

HVAC replacement at the Crawford County Jail could cost up to $275,000, exceeding an original $208,000 bid.

Also factored into the project cost is $40,000 in upgrades from EPM.

Fred Malicoat of Malicoat Winslow Engineers, PC told commissioners Tuesday that the project could be done in phases, but estimated it would add 10 percent to the cost.

“There are startup costs,” said Malicoat, explaining that the workers can’t just go in and resume the job from each phase.

Sheriff Darin Layman said prevailing wage is a big cost to the project. 

Malicoat told commissioners that if they wait too long to act, the price of equipment will go up. 

County Clerk John Martin said they are in no position to pay for that all at once. 

“We have got enough reserve in (capital improvement) where we can get the project started,” Martin said. “That would maybe be half of what we need to accomplish that.”

Martin suggested paying for it across two years. 

“Paying two years worth of CI for one year, that would be a monster we cannot do,” he said. 

According to Malicoat, either spring or fall would be the opportune time to do the work. Martin asked if the work could be completed by November and the county billed in January.

“If we paid it the first of February, we would be fine,” he said, adding they can budget 2019 for the startup.

Brad Dicus, the jail’s head of maintenance, said they are still waiting on final numbers from Ransom Heating & Cooling. Ransom submitted the only bid for the project, which was rejected in October. Dicus said Ransom worked on the original installation of the HVAC system when the jail was constructed in 2003 and the company has an understanding of how it works.

Layman said Tuesday the system is performing, but is on its last leg. 

Since 2011, the county has spent more than $68,000 on HVAC repairs at the jail.