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WALKER - Central Services Director Tim Richardson reported to the county board Tuesday Honeywell has nearly completed upgrading the county courthouse heating and cooling control system.

It's a much higher tech system, he said, providing the board with printed diagrams from a software program that will enable Richardson to operate each control point in the system from his computer.

The air handling system has had controller units inside the ductwork replaced. Half the old ones were broken or not synchronized with the rest of the system, he said, adding he hopes the change will help the county save at least $30,000 on fuel oil next winter.

Administrator Robert Yochum said the county is still considering whether to move one or more of three 18,000-gallon propane tanks from Ah-Gwah-Ching to Walker, so the county can convert from fuel oil to propane to heat the courthouse complex if it would be cost effective. Richardson said the county's boilers are designed to accept propane burners.[[In-content Ad]]

The county could renew conversations with the school district to purchase either oil or propane as another potential cost saving measure, Richardson and Yochum said.

Sheriff Tom Burch obtained board approval to spend up to $4,500 to purchase materials to build a storage building on an existing cement slab at the highway garage in Walker to store Sentence to Serve work equipment. An STS crew will build the building.

In 2010, 106 men completed the Sentence to Serve inmate work program in Cass County, working off $17,886 in court-ordered fines and completing $37,225 worth of improvements in 1,889 hours for the county, cities, townships, DNR and other state agencies, school districts and non-profit agencies.

All but two were worth under $400,000.

Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.

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