The Marshall County Common Council wrestled with the pros and cons of repairing or replacing a failing AC unit at the county jail.
Sheriff Matt Hassel along with Gary Masterson, maintenance director said there are ten units that are placed on the roof of the jail. The failing unit sits directly on top of the kitchen area where a great deal of heat is generated by the food preparation units and the dishwashers.
The AC units were purchased and installed ten years ago on the roof at the advice of the engineering plan. Hassel said the units should never have been placed on the roof where temperatures can reach 110 degrees.
At this point, the unit needs to have a condenser replaced at an estimated cost of $8,500. If the unit was replaced, the cost could rise to $56,675. It was noted that it could take as long as two months to order and install a new unit or for an extra $1,200, a new one could be in place within seven weeks.
Council President Judy Stone questioned if the AC units could be relocated to the ground and at what cost. It was further noted that a relocation effort would have to take into account where footers are already in place to add on new housing pods in the future and could also incur more expense to secure an area with fencing. Council members Heath Thornton said, “It is a building where you can’t open any doors or windows,”
Audience member and Marshall County Commissioner, Mike Delp, said there is a great deal of duct work involved when units are placed on a roof and then indicated that the cost of duct work in future plans would be a factor.
The final vote was to repair the failing unit in order to provide heat relief for kitchen employees while a study is conducted to determine what long range plan would be most efficient.
Carol Anders Correspondent
