MONTICELLO – Piatt County officials are moving forward with replacing an HVAC unit at the county building on North State Street.
Last week, the county’s Building and Grounds Committee approved a motion to have an engineering firm take a closer look at the project and provide some preliminary estimates on the cost.
The county’s maintenance supervisor, Doug Winder, told the committee that GHR Engineers and Associates of Champaign will provide that to the county at an estimated cost of $7,000.
“That won’t get us any drawing or a RFP (Request for Proposal), but it will give us some information which we need,” he said. “That will get the ball rolling.”
Last month, Winder told the county board that that the HVAC system needed replaced and he estimated it would cost approximately $500,000. The county plans on using ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to pay for the project.
Other business
Mental Health Director Tony Kirkman told the committee that work needs to be done on the roof of the mental health building.
“When we had some HVAC word done, one of the technicians raised some concern about our roof, which is 25 years old,” he said. “Specifically on the south part of our roof, he noticed the rubber washers on the fasteners were starting to peak up and were actually starting to raise a portion of the roof up by about 1/16th of an inch.”
The concern, he added, is that leakage may cause the wood to rot and cause additional damage.
Kirkman said an initial estimate to replace the roof was $52,000.
Kirkman will begin seeking quotes on repairing some of the roof and bring those to the board.
Kirkman also reported that the kitchen at the facility will get an upgrade, thanks in part to a $10,000 grant.
“Our kitchen serves over 60 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities every single day,” he said. “We prepare meals there but we also host cooking instruction classes there and show them healthy nutrition tips, how to prepare simple meals and it will be great to do some renovation to that kitchen which is also 25 years old.”
