County OKs $44,500 consulting contract for geothermal cooling-tower upgrade

Muscatine County supervisors on June 29 approved a $44,500 contract with A&J Associates to design, bid and manage a supplemental cooling-tower project for the county’s geothermal system.

County Development Director Eric Furnis told the board the contract with Vic Amaroso of A&J Associates covers “design, bidding, project management and everything” for a cooling tower that will add about 100 tons of additional cooling to the county’s loop field. Furnis said the consultant needs to begin work so the tower can be installed in the fall during milder weather.

The board moved and seconded the contract authorization and approved it; one supervisor recorded an opposition during the voice vote. No amendment or contingency was recorded on the floor.

Furnis said the work is being advanced now because the new fiscal year budget includes funding for the supplemental cooling project and staff wants to keep the installation on a fall schedule. He described the contract as the step needed to complete design and move toward procurement and construction.

The board did not set a separate deadline for final construction; Furnis said the target installation is this fall, weather permitting. The supervisor meeting packet did not include detailed bid documents or a construction timeline in the transcripted remarks.