Board approves interim kitchen upgrades and electrical/HVAC work at county jail

The County Board of Trustees voted Sept. 11 to set a guaranteed maximum price for interim kitchen upgrades at the county jail, including replacement of three pieces of antiquated kitchen equipment, electrical upgrades and installation of mini‑split HVAC units. Sharon moved the motion; Mr. Roosevelt seconded it, and the motion carried. County staff said an outside food-service provider recently contracted to prepare meals at the jail is using more modern equipment and the jail’s kitchen — much of which dates to the 1980s and is steam-powered — cannot reliably support that workload. Staff described three pieces of replacement equipment (a new oven, a new steamer and a large kettle) and said the kitchen-equipment cost was about $60,029. The upgrades will include significant electrical work to support the electric equipment and some HVAC upgrades, including mini‑splits, because the existing chiller lines have extensive corrosion and are not delivering sufficient cooling. Kyle White told the board the county chose electric equipment so the new items would be usable if a larger future jail project reconfigures the space. Staff said they are intentionally upsizing electrical capacity to allow the space to serve as a future laundry room if needed. The project will be procured under the county’s contract with PJ Harris; staff said PJ Harris will solicit bids and that the county sheriff had agreed to absorb initial funding from the sheriff’s 2025 budget. Board members asked for specifics about the equipment and timeline; staff supplied the equipment list and the equipment cost but said some other project cost details and the final guaranteed maximum price would be provided in follow-up procurement documents.