Judiciary warns Senate committee a sprinkler solution for Essex County Courthouse will add about $500,000; staff to draft letter of intent

Greg Olsen, chief of finance and administration, told the Senate Institutions committee on Jan. 29 that design work for the Essex County Courthouse expansion revealed an unresolved water-pressure issue for the required sprinkler system.

"The cost for that is $500,000, which is above and beyond the original estimate for the overall project," Olsen said, describing an alternate design that would rely on a holding tank and pump to ensure fire-suppression capability if the local water pressure cannot meet sprinkler-system requirements.

Olsen said the project team learned about the pressure risk during sprinkler-system testing and that contractors who were scheduled to begin may not be able to stay on the job unless there is an assurance that funding will be available. Representative Hemans (referenced by Olsen) had suggested a letter of intent from the relevant committees to indicate that the committees expect the additional funding will be available at the appropriate time.

Committee members and staff asked Olsen for schedule clarifications; staff said they would draft language for a letter of intent and provide it to the committee promptly. The chair said the committee would run a straw poll and review the proposed language before taking any formal appropriations action.

No formal vote was recorded during the meeting; members discussed the funding gap, the implications for contractor scheduling and next procedural steps.