January 14, 2013
01/15/13 County Commissioner Kevin Overmyer and Maintenance Supervisor Doug Masterson appeared before the County Council Monday seeking a positive nod to fix a major problem with the heating and air-conditioning in the County Building.
Doug Masterson said the computer that controls the hearing and air on the first and second floors of the County Building crashed last week. In 2000 the Commissioners began a major project to replace the original 1981 pneumatic controls with a new system that would allow computer controlling of the heat and air. In two phases they replaced the original equipment on the first floor and then second floor. After completing the two phases it was determined that the system did not work well and so the third floor was not updated.
Now that the computer that controls the newer equipment on the first and second floors has crash the temperature settings that were in place last week is how the various rooms are stuck. The pneumatic controllers for the third floor are still working so the maintenance staff can change the temperatures there.
A proposal dated July 2, 2012 from OJS from South Bend proposes to change the entire building’s heating and cooling system. Council members were given a copy of the proposal Monday and told by Commissioner Overmyer that he anticipates a declaration of an emergency at their next meeting to move the project along. He also said he thought this project could be funded with Rainy Day Funds.
Although the proposal is set in three phases it is anticipated that the entire project could be completed in 6 months or so at a total amount of $203,953.
Council members gave a favorable nod to the project but can’t take official action until their February meeting when the additional can be advertised properly.