Lee County Board OKs $4.25 million HVAC project at Courts Building

DIXON – The Lee County Courts Building is getting a multimillion-dollar upgrade to its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

Lee County Board members unanimously voted Tuesday to spend up to $4.25 million on a “guaranteed energy-savings” contract with Allied Facility Partners for the project, pending approval of the contract by the county’s legal counsel.

“As soon as we get that done, then my understanding is that the line items that are within this authorization will be put out for bid,” Finance Committee Chairman Jim Schielein told fellow board members. “It could come in cheaper.”

About $2.9 million of the cost will come from Lee County’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, Schielein said. ARPA funds have to be spent by 2026, he said.

The project has been in the works for at least a year, according to minutes from the Lee County Board and its various committees.

Allied Facility Partners was granted the guaranteed energy savings contract in May, board minutes show. The organization is serving as the general contractor for the entire project.

The May 15 Facilities and Maintenance Committee meeting minutes show County Administrator Wendy Ryerson explained what a “guaranteed energy-savings contract” is.

“The process provides an alternative method to the typical competitive bid process, specifically relevant to projects with energy-savings potential,” the minutes read. “Qualified providers are selected though an [request for proposal] process. Providers then work with the county to identify specific energy-saving projects, engineer the project, calculate project costs and calculate energy savings.

“The qualified provider develops a guaranteed energy-savings contract in which the energy savings are guaranteed by the provider. The goal is to offset the cost of the project [at least in part] with the energy savings over the life of the contract.”