More funds needed for Monroe sprinkler project

Union

Financial reality has dashed some cold water on plans to install a sprinkler system in the historic Monroe County Courthouse.

Officials are adjusting expectations in the face of system costs that are anticipated to run close to $300,000. With only $120,000 available for the project, Monroe Commissioners decided Wednesday to check into installing the system in stages rather than covering the entire courthouse in one installation.

County Clerk Donald Evans advised commissioners that, although four firms were represented at a pre-bid conference for the project, only one Brewer & Co. out of Charleston subsequently submitted a bid. The companys base bid for the courthouse-wide system was $227,600.

Evans said adjusting the figures to include necessary chemical fire suppression instead of water in rooms where irreplaceable paper records are stored will add another $46,200 to the bid. The cost of a required environmental study and architectural fees will bring the total project cost to $293,180.

Most of the money the county has on hand for the project came from a state Courthouse Facilities Improvement Authority grant. The county is matching the $100,000 grant with another $20,000 of its own.

Evans said the county can install a portion of the system now and apply for an additional Courthouse Facilities grant for the next phase, but only if the portion installed immediately is operational. That means, he explained, that the project will have to be done zone by zone in the courthouse, rather than spending all of the available funds on prep expenses for the entire building.

Commission President Shane Ashley said the immediate focus needs to be placed on the paper records storage areas.

Consultants with the Thrasher Group are working on breaking down the overall project into manageable, yet operational, portions, Evans said.

The commission is expected to have a special meeting within the coming week to decide on the next step.

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More funds needed for Monroe sprinkler project