Lincoln County board moves to contract Waldinger to repair jail rooftop air conditioner

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting to consider an agreement with Waldinger Corporation to repair a rooftop air conditioning unit at the Lincoln County Detention Center, officials said. Booker Boyer, director of building and grounds, told the board the repair would cost $26,163.36 and that parts must be custom-made, with suppliers roughly 30 days out.

Booker Boyer said the failure involved an evaporator "C" coil that developed a wear hole and two valves, which shut down the unit serving the jail’s medical pod and a lockdown pod. "We ended up with a evaporator C coil that has a wear hole in it," Boyer said, and added the condition posed risks because some inmates in the pod use oxygen.

Board members pressed for options and timelines. One commissioner asked whether replacing the entire unit would be faster or more durable; officials said a replacement would also need to be special-ordered and estimated it would cost about $70,000. Boyer said the repair approach was the most expeditious way to restore conditioned air, even though custom parts would create a roughly 30-day wait.

The board discussed temporary cooling options such as portable units, but Boyer said those had limited applicability in the secure segregation pod and that the sheriff had raised safety concerns about using electric devices in that environment. Boyer confirmed the repair was covered in the department’s budget.

A commissioner moved "that we enter into an agreement with Waldinger Corporation to repair a rooftop air conditioning unit for the Lincoln County Detention Center." The motion was seconded, the dollar amount of $26,163.36 was cited, and the board called the roll. The transcript does not record a vote tally or a formal outcome for the motion.

Officials said Waldinger was already working on another repair at the facility and that completing the quoted repair should return the building to full service once parts arrive. The board concluded the emergency meeting after the roll call.