Anyone who has spent time in the Kane County Judicial Center in recent months knows about the problems there. Courtrooms and offices that are freezing cold or boiling hot, an elevator on the fritz, hot- and cold-running water that has been described as “filthy,” a fire-alarm system that needs to be replaced.

The Kane County Board Committee of the Whole heard a plan Tuesday to fix longtime mechanical problems at the Judicial Center once and for all, and to make sure the building is properly maintained moving forward.

Operations Staff Executive Don Biggs outlined a plan that would cost an estimated $1.178 million to repair the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, the hot-water system and a laundry list of 449 life-safety, building-design, control-system, general equipment and maintenance issues identified in a project-management analysis.

While that’s a hefty sum, it is $385,000 less than $1.563 million estimate from the Hill Mechanical Group, a consultant hired in January to assess the range of Judicial Center problems.

Biggs’ plan finds cost savings by purchasing replacement equipment direct from the manufacturer, continuing to use the services of the current mechanical contractor and providing staff training on HVAC operations and equipment maintenance to provide “proactive, predictive and preventive maintenance training.”

The first phase of the project would be completed in 2014 at a cost not to exceed $678,000.

Recommended County Board Action, Phase 1, Item 1 — Repairs for 2014

Approve the following repairs at a cost not to exceed $678,000:

• Fire- and smoke-damper replacement — $100,000
• Hot-water system improvements and system flushing — $255,000
• Fire-alarm system replacement — $40,000
• Variable-frequency drives replacement — $75,000
• Electrical motors replacement — $115,000
• Mechanical systems cleaning — $80,000
• Internet-based work order and preventive maintenance system — $13,000

Recommended County Board Action — Phase 1, Item 2

• Staff training on HVAC operations and equipment maintenance — annual cost $10,000
• Hire one FTE maintenance mechanic qualified in HVAC maintenance — $60,000.

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Kane County Chronicle: ‘Extremely expensive’ repairs needed at Kane County Judicial Center