COLUSA COUNTY, CA (MPG) – The failed heating and air-conditioning system at the former Wells Fargo building in Maxwell will cost Colusa County $40,000 to replace, an unexpected expense for a property used by the Sites Project Authority and the Sheriff’s Office.
The Board of Supervisors approved the funding Oct. 6 after Budget Analyst Kaline Moore reported that the aging unit stopped working in September and could not be repaired.
“I think it came over on the Mayflower,” Moore said.
Sites maintains offices at the property, while the Sheriff’s Office operates a substation.
Supervisor Kent Boes questioned whether the county was responsible for the entire bill or whether Sites should share the cost.
Moore said the lease agreement makes the county responsible for major mechanical systems, a provision officials had previously reviewed.
The building has undergone renovations, including work following flooding. Moore said the heating and cooling equipment was serviced during that time but never replaced. The substation has a smaller unit that was replaced earlier, along with modifications to the ductwork. The failed system served the rest of the building.
With insufficient money available in the maintenance budget, supervisors authorized a transfer from the county’s contingency reserves. They also approved a separate adjustment placing $40,000 in the building fund to cover the expense.
The money accounted for most of the $43,615 in contingency allocations approved at the meeting. Another $3,615 went to the Elections Office for additional costs associated with furniture installation and vehicle purchase ahead of the November election.
The allocations lowered the county’s contingency balance from $522,982 to $479,367.