Board approves replacement plan for aging boiler at county fleet garage

The County Board of Trustees voted on Sept. 11 to set a guaranteed maximum price to replace an aging boiler at the county highway/fleet garage and to install several mini‑split systems to condition work areas. Motion by Betty, second by Marcy; motion carried. County staff said the boiler requires near-constant maintenance and parts are increasingly difficult to obtain, and replacement before winter is prudent. The project will be procured under the county’s construction-manager contract with PJ Harris. Kyle White told the board the mini‑split systems are intended to make shop and office spaces more comfortable for highway staff: “This is an effort to improve the working conditions for the employees that are out there.” Board members asked whether a new boiler could later be reused if the county builds a new fleet garage; staff said reuse is possible depending on the timing of new construction. The board was told funding will come from the county’s capital project fund. PJ Harris will solicit subcontract bids and County staff will return with award recommendations.