BENTONVILLE -- Benton County justices of the peace heard a presentation Tuesday concerning heating and air conditioning issues at the county jail.
Bo Reynolds with Trane, a manufacturer of heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems, gave the presentation during the Quorum Court's Finance Committee meeting.
Reynolds said improving ventilation in the jail was a focus of the company's study. The jail is 25 years old and has been well-maintained, he said.
He recommended replacing the two sets of boilers in the jail. One set is for heating and air units, and the other provides hot water. Reynolds said the Sheriff's Office has spent $50,000 to repair the boilers.
Reynolds also recommended replacing the jail's exhaust fans and bringing the electrical system up to code.
Maj. Bob Bersi with the Sheriff's Office said the jail recently replaced the heat exchanger, which is involved providing hot water for the jail. The heat exchanger costs $15,000 and lasts about a year, he said.
Sheriff Shawn Holloway said the cost may go up 5% to 10% if the county waits until the end of the year to replace the boilers.
County Comptroller Deborah Fischer said the $550,000 to address the air quality and the exhaust fans would come out of the county's American Rescue Plan funds, while the $360,000 for the boilers would come from money dedicated to capital projects.
Reynolds said with those moves, every major component of the jail will have been replaced and should last 15 to 25 years.
The Finance Committee voted 13-0 to send the items to the full Quorum Court for consideration.
The committee also approved a resolution for the Maysville Community Center to apply for two grants: a Rural Service Block Grant and Fun Park Grant.
The center can receive up to $75,000 from the block grant with a 10% match. Fischer said the center will be responsible for paying the matching amount. She said the money will be used for repairs to the center.
The Fun Park grant would provide up to $100,000 that would be used for a walking trail around the center, Fischer said.
Justice of the Peace Susan Anglin of Bentonville said the center is important to Maysville and she believes adding the walking trail is a great idea.