Daviess County officials are looking at ways to upgrade the Daviess County Security Center.
Today’s Washington Times herald reports that while the jail is not yet 20 years old, some of its systems are aging faster than anticipated. The county has received an extensive audit from the energy firm Ameresco and officials are looking for ways to save money on utility and equipment expenses. President of the Daviess County Commissioners Nathan Gabhart told the paper, “This study started some time ago. They have literally counted each light bulb and each ballast.”
The company has come up with a plan to upgrade some of the jail’s systems in order to save money on utility costs, but the upgrade will cost 1.4 million dollars. $453,000 would be spent to improve lighting, $353,000 for water conservation, $553,000 to replace roof top units, and $85,000 for automation system upgrades. The firm told the county it could expect capital outlays of $733,000 over the next ten years. Some of that money could be saved by replacing units early according to the Ameresco report. Gabhart said, “on paper it looks like a good deal” but went on to say the county will continue to review the numbers before making a final decision.
According to the news story, the energy audit has not cost the county any money so far.