Quincy Reporter

Adams County Board HVAC Sub-committee met May 21.

Here are the minutes provided by the subcommittee:

NOTE: The HVAC Sub-Committee was formed through County Board approval on May 14, 2024’s stated meeting.

Meeting Convened at 5:00pm

Members Present: Dave Bellis, Steve McQueen, Terry Bower, Ryan Hinkamper, Dave McClearly, Marvin Kerkhoff,

Members Absent: Brad Poulter, Les Post, Joe Zanger

Others in Attendance: County Clerk Ryan A. Niekamp, Todd Moore, Board Member Travis Cooley, Board Member Brent Fischer, Quincy Herald Whig

There was no public comment.

Mr. Bellis thanked everyone for coming to the meeting and stated the objective is to figure out which engineering firm the county should pick and stated that there are two firms to pick from. Mr. Bellis wished to review the different firms and stated that each firm has agreed to talk to the committee about their firms and different mechanical systems to choose from. Mr. Todd Moore stated that he would be able to give the county a couple of options and the pros and cons with each option and his firm would have their opinion as to which is the best option.

Mr. McQueen stated he has a couple of questions about VRF and has experience putting VRF into two different buildings. The one project was at a plant and stated that they had a lot of condensation that was caused by that system. Mr. McQueen stated that VRF is newer technology and asked if the county would be a test subject when compared to different types of systems that have been tried and true. Mr. McQueen also asked questions regarding the age of the building, and then also reminded everyone that the courthouse has had an issue with some mold and with the VRF there would be constant water overhead. Mr. Hinkamper stated that he shared some concerns as Mr. McQueen and stated that some of the issues are where will the VRF be in the test of time. Mr. Bower stated that he is open to any system and stated that any system would be water over head and the biggest problem is the solar gain on the south side of the problem. Mr. Bower mentioned water source heat pumps, and different other types of products that will all have water overhead. Mr. Hinkamper asked if a chilled-pipe system can have heat and air running at the same time. Mr. Moore replied that it would be a four-pipe system which is used already in town. Mr. Moore talked more about the condensation with the different systems and stated that the cost of a four-pipe system would be more costly as there is double the amount of piping and additionally due to the age of the building and the concrete reinforcement of the building that must be thought about too as it would make the project more difficult. Mr. Fischer asked what the life system is of a four-pipe system and Mr. Moore stated that it would be slightly longer. Mr. Moore stated that with a water-pipe system and four-pipe there are cooling towers, chemicals required, etc. Mr. Bower stated that the courthouse currently has a four-pipe system; however it’s old enough that the antifreeze cannot be put into it. Mr. Kerkhoff asked if all the copper piping would be replaced. Mr. Moore stated yes that everything would be replaced. Mr. Moore stated the bigger of a VRF system that is placed in, the more efficient it becomes; however, when the VRF gets big the oil return becomes an issue. Mr. Hinkamper asked for an industry standard for piping of a VRF. Mr. Moore stated there was and it’s 1,000 feet of piping – some vendors allow for 2,500-3,000 feet of pipe. Mr. Bower reminded everyone that when the board took action on closing the windows, it took away everyone’s ability to change their temperature of their room and that has caused a lot of issues but the county does have positive air. Mr. Hinkamper stated that he does not want the county to spend millions of dollars on a system that is not 100% what fits the building. Mr. Moore said that with ever the committee goes to, to keep it simple. Some systems get very difficult to work on where it requires a specialist to come in and fix the issues. Mr. Cooley asked what the high school was going to. Mr. Moore stated that VAV Heat Pump / air handing unit and that is not an option for the courthouse due to the concrete structure of the building which would prohibit the construction of the large duct work required of the VAV system. Mr. McQueen asked for a VRF for a building the size of the courthouse, how many outdoor units would be needed. Mr. Moore estimated 400 tons of cooling and that would require many different units. Mr. Bower stated no matter what happens, the roof has to be replaced of the courthouse as it’s 18 years old. Mr. Bellis stated that the high school has a lot of complaints keeping up with the filter replacement. Mr. McQueen welcomed anyone to this plant to look at the VRF there he stated that they do heat and cool. Mr. Bower welcomed anyone to the a tour of the building so everyone can see what is being discussed.

Mr. Bower stated that neither firm can provide concrete answers or pricing until the board knows what is wanted or needed. Mr. Moore stated that at QHS, which is 50,000 square feet, whereas the courthouse is 70,000 that QHS was at around $72/square foot. Mr. Moore stated that the schedule of the courthouse system is what will raise the cost as it will be done after hours. Mr. Bower stated that it will take a year or two to complete the renovation.

Mr. McClearly asked how Artchitenics does their billing. Mr. Moore replied his firm would go off a percent and their bill is off of their schedule. The committee talked about the important of having the firm on site and meeting every two weeks.

The committee discussed which route they wished to go with and the consensus was they need to focus on the RFP at hand and find which firm and figure out which system after the firm is chosen. Mr. Bower provided input that both firms come back in and the committee discuss each option with them. Mr. McQueen asked how much the board should put into a 70-year-old building. Mr. Bellis provided details about all the recent renovations and improvements that have been made and that a new building is not an option.

Mr. McCleary suggested scheduling another meeting and the first part of the meeting get a tour of the building and second part listen to presentations of the two firms. The committee will meet on May 28th at 4:00pm for a tour of the Courthouse and 5:00pm for the start of the presentation in the County Board Room.

Meeting adjourned at 5:50pm on May 21, 2024.

https://www.adamscountyil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9663