Walla Walla County approves courthouse and facilities contracts, testing and contingency funds

The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 29 approved a series of facilities projects and contracting steps intended to keep courthouse and county facilities safe and compliant and to advance grant‑funded work.

Key approvals included:
• A yearly snow‑removal contract with Tom’s Yard Care for 2026, with the facilities director authorized to issue RFPs annually and execute a contract with the lowest responsible bidder. Staff said the 2025 budget for snow removal was $25,000 and actual spending to date was about $13,000.

• Authorization for facilities to contract to remove the former clerk’s ballistic transaction counter in the Hall of Records to repurpose the space for IT; estimated removal cost discussed at about $18,528.25 and to be charged to current expense building funds.

• A time extension for completion of the courthouse handrail project at no additional contractor cost, plus contracting Dawson Testing to verify anchorage and welds (testing cost discussed at about $4,500) and establishment of a contingency fund equal to 2.5% of the total project cost (roughly $4,900–$5,000 based on a $196,000 project estimate).

• Approval to use state‑permitted cooperative purchasing (Omnia) for portions of work covered by a $1,960,000 DAHP/state courthouse grant, a method staff said would allow third‑party verification of line‑item costs and include roof work that would not fit within a DES energy approach.

• Authorization to sign maintenance and software subscription renewals with Johnson Controls (OpenBlue) for HVAC controls; commissioners discussed a gross cost around $22,460 with a roughly $7,500 credit for prior visits, yielding a near‑term net of about $14,960 and an approach to allocate costs across buildings by square footage.

In each case, commissioners questioned costs, schedule and funding sources and were provided clarifications. All motions carried by voice votes, 3‑0.

Why it matters: these approvals advance accessibility (handrails), building safety and operations (snow removal, HVAC), and the county’s ability to maximize grant dollars on courthouse restoration work. The cooperative purchasing decision was presented as a way to secure a contractor with specialized masonry and roofing expertise while maintaining cost verification for the grant.