Hall County Commissioners met Dec. 2. (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Nothing lasts forever.
That’s what Hall County Commissioners are finding out regarding heating and cooling systems for the Hall County Department of Corrections building, which opened in 2008.
Hall County Commissioners voted 5-2 Dec. 2 to award a bid from Rutt’s Heating and Air Conditioning from Hastings for $551,300. Commissioners Gary Quandt and Karen Bredthauer voted against the motion.
Quandt and Bredthauer said after the meeting that they generally oppose awarding bids when only one proposal is received.
In addition to publicizing the bid availability in a newspaper, the Hall County Corrections Department contacted area heating and air conditioning businesses. Quandt and Bredthauer said they don’t believe that all possible major businesses were contacted, particularly in Grand Island.
Replacement is also needed for HVAC units at the Hall County Corrections Department building. It is estimated that those units will cost $1.5 million to $1.65 million. Commissioners discussed paying half of the cost out of the current fiscal year budget and paying the other half out of next year’s fiscal year budget. Commissioners are unsure how the project will be funded.
Commissioners voted 5-2 to proceed with moving forward with replacing the HVAC units. Commissioners Quandt and Bredthauer voted against the motion.
After the meeting, Bahensky said that the chiller services the east portion of the jail, and the HVAC unit services the west portion of the jail.
Hall County Corrections Director Todd Bahensky said there are currently 230 inmates in the jail, including 80 from the U.S. Marshal’s Department. A revised reimbursement amount is being pursued, Bahensky said.
In another matter, Commissioners considered granting a conditional use permit to Towers LLC for a 185-foot-tall tower south of Wood River. Commissioners voted 7-0 to grant preliminary approval for the project, but want more information added to the resolution before they give final approval to the project.
