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Managing Editor

Contracts have been awarded by the Anoka County Board for a $1.9 million project to remodel and expand the space in which Anoka County Central Communications operates in the lower level of the west part of the Anoka County Courthouse.

The board, on the recommendation of its Finance and Capital Improvements Committee, approved a construction contract totaling $350,922 with Morcon Construction, Minneapolis.

The contract award is within the budgeted amount for the construction work, according to David Minke, deputy county administrator.

A preconstruction meeting with the contractor took place Dec. 11 with work expected to start as soon as possible, Minke said.

Completion is scheduled in April 2010, he said.

Last month the board awarded a contract to Energy Services Group Inc., Wayzata, in the amount of $370,000 for the mechanical work associated with the project plus $233,000 for project enhancements including connection to emergency power, expansion of a chilled water line from the center courthouse and connection to the west courthouse building for efficiency and equipment life, air handling unit for free cooling, outside air duct and dry coolers.

As well, the board approved contracts in November with Xybix Company, Littleton, Colo., to purchase 911 dispatch console furniture for $147,476 as well as with Independent Emergency Services, Hutchinson, to supply a new 911 telephone system in the amount of $571,899.

“The existing furniture and phone systems are now more than 15 years old,” said John Tonding, Anoka County Central Communications manager.

Both these contracts came in under budget, according to Tonding. The furniture budget was $162,689 and the budget for the new 911 phone system was $602,589.

The construction work will cause some disruption to the continuing operations of the central communications department, but this will be mitigated by the installation of temporary walls, Minke said.

In addition to the remodeling of the existing Central Communications space, the department will be expanded into space that has been vacated by the county’s Information Services Department, he said.

Sources of funding for the project include the county’s capital improvements program budget, 911 surcharge revenue and money provided in the 2010 county building fund.

“Despite continual increases in 911 calls, police and fire incidents and county population, Central Communications has not added any operational space in 15 years,” according to the county’s capital improvements budget document.

Additional 911 call taking stations are badly needed to handle high volume events, existing console furniture is worn and advances in 911 phone equipment will provide enhanced call handling capabilities, the document states.

As part of the construction, a hallway that currently separates the dispatch center from the computer room will be removed to provide more space.

The computer and dispatch personnel areas will remain separate, but the hallway is not needed because both rooms have their own emergency exits, according to Cevin Petersen, county finance and central services division manager.

The energy improvements were included because the current air handling and mechanical systems were installed in 1976, Petersen said.

“The current HVAC unit and air handling system is very old and inefficient,” he said.

Eight years ago when the county began an ongoing upgrade to its energy equipment in the courthouse and government center, the system serving Central Communications was left out because it was separate from the rest of the HVAC system so that it could have backup in case the central heating and cooling system went down, he said.

The expansion project in Central Communication made it an optimum time to replace the aging system, Petersen said.


Peter Bodley is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it