Cole County commissioners spent an extended portion of their Nov. 26 meeting debating how to replace failing rooftop HVAC units at the Cole County Jail, with staff and commissioners weighing cost, warranty and operational risks.

County staff presented three procurement options: (1) bid and install the most critical four “pod” units first, (2) bid all rooftop units and phase installations, or (3) buy all units now and store spares on-site for future failures. Cost estimates discussed ranged from roughly $1.2 million on the low end to as much as $2.6 million, and one commissioner suggested budgeting $2 million as a planning figure.

Speakers raised several practical concerns. Speaker 14, who described the item as “probably number one on our list of capital improvements,” argued for prioritizing the jail because failures would create immediate operational problems and could force the county to relocate inmates. Other commissioners and staff asked how storing new units would affect manufacturer warranties, how often a crane might be needed (increasing cost if units must be craned onto the roof multiple times), and whether the building could handle the additional roof load. Staff said they expected a 12–14-week lead time from order to delivery for rooftop units.

Commissioners emphasized tradeoffs between short-term risk mitigation and long-term cost. Proponents of buying all units now said having spares would reduce emergency downtime; others said storing units risks starting the warranty clock before the units are installed, which could diminish value. Speaker 11 suggested a procurement approach with a base bid for four critical units, alternates for remaining units, and a separate line item to purchase and hold additional units if warranted.

After lengthy discussion and a request for more information on warranty timing and bid options, commissioners agreed to table the decision and directed staff to return next week with a clearer set of preferred options (preferred Option 1, 2 and 3) that include warranty terms, phased bid language and cost comparisons. No formal procurement contract was approved at the Nov. 26 meeting.

The commission’s next procedural step is to place the HVAC item on next week’s agenda with detailed procurement scenarios and vendor warranty language for review.