Committee OKs $140,000 chiller replacement for courthouse

Committee opts for total replacement rather than just replacing one of the compressors that failed last summer

After nearly 23 years things wear out.

That was the message from buildings and grounds director Joe Svejda to members of the Taylor County Buildings and Grounds committee on Monday about the need to replace a chiller in the courthouse at a cost of about $140,000.

Svejda reminded committee members that the newest portion of the courthouse is 23 years old and that despite his crews and outside contractors continuously working to keep things running, that breakdowns will become more common as equipment ages.

A chiller is part of the air conditioning system at the courthouse. At the basic level, a solution in the chiller is kept cold and then the air from the building is circulated to provide climate control in the building. The courthouse has two chillers, each of which has two compressors. Last summer a compressor on one of the chillers went down with a shorted-out motor. “It is shot, you will have to replace it,” Svejda said.

Fortunately, August was milder than it has been in recent years and the county was able to limp along with just one chiller in service. Svejda worked with contractor Complete Controls who has the service agreement on the system to get quotes on the system. The cost of a new compressor is $70,562.

Svejda also looked into what it would cost to replace the entire chiller unit with a new one including new compressors. This would cost about $80,000 with an additional $61,000 in cost to remove the old one and install the new one.

The county had a 95-ton Carrier Chiller. Svejda said he had also asked them to price out a Trane brand system because it was what he had previously worked with and preferred. However, the Trane would have a cost of $135,000 plus installation, which he estimated would put it at over $200,000 since they would have to redo the concrete footings for a different model of chiller.

“My opinion is to replace the entire chiller,” Svejda said, noting that the wiring and other parts are all 22 years old and that if the other compressor went out next year they would be back to spending the money again.

One of the challenges Svejda said, is that much like other manufacturing which is still facing delays, it will likely be until 2024 before they can physically get the new chiller installed meaning the courthouse will go through the summer with just one chiller working.

The flip side of the delay is that the entire cost would not need to come out of one year’s maintenance budget. Svejda suggested the impact to local budgets could also be reduced by funding a portion of it with federal grant funds remaining from COVID relief funds.

According to finance director Larry Brandl, they could make paying for it work. He said it would be a major hit to take the whole amount out of this year’s maintenance budget, but noted that the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and other grants could be used to help with it. It would take action by the county’s finance and personnel committee to allocate ARPA funds for the project.

“It is something we have to replace,” said committee member Lori Floyd making a motion to move forward with replacing the entire chiller and utilizing grant funds if possible.

Office moves

Committee members said Svejda had the authority to assign office space in county buildings in consultation with the department head of the impacted department with the exception that if there would be significant cost that it come to the committee for review.

The issue was raised after the ongoing discussion regarding office space for the Veterans Service Office. The committee had previously approved giving the Veteran Service Office the additional office space across the hall to increase privacy and provide a waiting area for those using the office. The plan is to move the main office across the hallway into space previously occupied by the human resources department before that office moved to the third floor a few years ago.

With the resignation of the previous veterans service officer, committee members earlier this fall had decided to hold off on the actual move to allow a new veterans service officer to determine how it would fit how the new department head wanted the office to function.

The issue was raised at a recent Veterans Service Committee meeting where it was again referred to the buildings and grounds committee.

Svejda said that historically his office has moved departmental offices without committee involvement. He noted that they are frequently moving spaces at the human services building but in this situation it had gone from committee to committee. He said that with the committees involved he was not sure where he stood as far as job responsibilities. “When I get asked I am a deer in the headlights,” he said.

Committee member Jim Gebauer and Floyd noted this was a unique situation with controversy around it.

Gebauer said that any major change he would want to come to the committee. He said if the move was not an expensive one to make Svejda could use his discretion.

Committee members voted to affirm Svejda’s ability to assign office space on his own with the department heads unless it is a major move or requires significant expense. Those would come to the committee for formal action.

Miller Dam boat landing

A plan to replace boat landings at the county park on Miller Dam (Chequamegon Waters Flowage) will move ahead thanks to the county receiving a $127,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The county board had previously approved replacing the decaying boat landings using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds as the local county match.

According to Svejda, things looked to be in doubt for a while. He said he attended an applicant meeting in November to sell the project to the allocation group. He said people on the board questioned why an engineering study had not been done on it. Svejda said he didn’t think it was beneficial to spend $10,000 for a packet of information if they weren’t going to have the funding to do the project.

He praised the staff members who he has been working with at the DNR who also spoke in support of the boat landing project and were about to convince the allocation committee to approve the grant.

Svejda also credited the help of county forest administrator Jake Walcisak with filling out the grant application paperwork. “The grant application is very Greek to me,” he said.

The county is expected to receive the actual grant money in April. However, with the official notification from the state that the grant was awarded, the county is able to move forward with engineering and preparing construction bids. Bids will not be able to be sent out until after the money has arrived from the state.

In other business, committee members:

  Gave their blessing to receiving a new piece of playground equipment at the Sackett Lake Park Playground. A community group is looking to raise funds to purchase a large boat-shaped piece of equipment for the playground valued at $20,000 and is in the process of raising funds to pay for it. Svejda said that would assist in the installation.

  Approved giving Perkinstown Winter Sports Area manager Sarah Matyka the authority to purchase retail supplies for the Chalet from wherever she felt it was in the best interest of the county. She asked for the change noting that her goal was to keep prices low for patrons while still bringing in revenue to help offset hill operations. “It doesn’t make common sense to me to throw money away just to buy local,” Matyka said, noting that the vendors the county is working with aren’t local either while the stores she is looking at buying from employ county residents.

  Discussed the reader board on highway 13 and 64 intersection. Due to a technology upgrade, the interface with the sign no longer works. The question was raised as to how useful the sign is and if people actually read it to find out what was going on in the area. It was also noted that the intersection is scheduled to be rebuilt by the state which could impact the sign’s future.

  Discussed the possibility of spending $1,400 on a computerized voting system which would allow all county board members to cast votes at the same time rather than going around the room. The goal of the change would be to prevent board members from being persuaded how to vote by other board members. “We need to have private voting,” Floyd said. County Clerk Andria Farrand will set up a presentation from the vendor for the proposed equipment.

  Discussed truck replacement. Svejda said they had planned to purchase a truck from the forestry department but that fell through and that they have two trucks that he said he does not feel are road-worthy for his crew to use. Gebauer said that Svejda needed to have those vehicles reviewed by an automative mechanic to see what is needed for them and to determine if they are worth repairing. The committee also told him to look at the availability of used vehicles given the delay in getting new vehicles ordered.

  Rejected a suggestion to look into putting snowmaking equipment at the winter sports area. “Don’t waste your time,” Gebauer said of even looking into the possibility. Svejda said he spoke to Florence County and was told a recent upgrade to their snowmaking equipment was over $600,000.

“It is something we have to replace.”

— County Board member Lori Floyd