Facility Management-Will the Lights Stay on When the Power Goes Out

The Public Works Department is maintaining county facilities in a way that provides county employees and citizens with clean, safe, and pleasant buildings in which to conduct the county’s business.

The Public Works and Information Technology Services Departments did a masterful job of earthquake recovery. Over 400 people where relocated to temporary spaces and were 7 back in operation in only two days. Except for the historic courthouse and the Hall of Justice, which both incurred significant structural damage, earthquake repairs were completed in little over a year. The Public Works Department took the opportunity to include building system upgrades and maintenance items while the impacted spaces were vacant. The displaced departments, except the ones housed in the historic courthouse and the Hall of Justice, were smoothly and efficiently moved back to their permanent spaces as the renovations were completed.

RFPs for maintenance contracts for critical building systems were not sent out on time, allowing the existing contracts to expire on July 1, 2015 without renewal or replacement. Although a basic level of inspection and testing was done by county maintenance personnel and some inspection and repair work was done by vendors on a purchase order by purchase order basis, the inspection regimen by third party experts on HVAC equipment, elevators, and emergency power generators was suspended with the expiration of the maintenance contracts on July 1, 2015. Elevator inspections continued on a month-to-month basis until October 31, 2015, but were suspended thereafter. The lack of regular thorough inspection and testing by third party specialists could lead to the increased risk of failure of this critical equipment when it is needed most.