2a. Jail generator cooling tower

Ms. Bonnie Johnson County Administrator 211 9th Street South Fargo, North Dakota 58103 Fos Architect &Interiors October 16, 2008 .1,...:I,F(: :~~C\ .::,~'{ ;i:.,' ,;.:,..- . - x,.~. :~:',".\';:i;.';.~~; Re: #0509, Cass County Jail Dear Ms. Johnson: I believe there are 2 items on the Commission Agenda for Monday October 20th that you have requested my presence for. As conveyed immediately after receipt of the Agenda for the Commission meeting. I indicated that I will be out of the office from noon that day until possibly the 3m of November. With that being the case, I am writing a brief response as to our understanding of the concerns regarding the cooling tower and generator exhaust being drawn into the fresh air intake of the recent addition. Item #1 - the cooling tower; this particular piece of mechanical equipment was a part of the original jail project, likely installed in 2001 and all related project materials and labor placed into warranty upon notification of substantial completion in August of 2002. Therefore with the exception of the roof membrane, all other warranties related to the cooling tower have long since expired by some 5 plus years. This makes it difficult to get all the contractors who were involved in the project at that time to willingly step forward and take on the task of repairs without knowing exactly the reason for the problem, the solution and if there is any financial responsibility on their part. From the standpoint of design and engineering of the curb and equipment, the method used is one of the industry standards for this application. From our initial observations, it appears that there may have been a leak around the anchor bolts which may be a result of a sealant failure or lack of sealant at the appropriate locations. The infiltration of water at those anchor locations may have been the cause for the structural failure of the wood material in the curb and below the roof membrane, therefore allowing settlement of the cooling tower. Of course until such time that the equipment is lifted and the roof membrane pulled back this is an assumption and additional inspection my suggest something totally different. To assist Cass County with this problem, we offer our staff and that of the Engineers of record to help coordinate the necessary contractors who can make the repairs, we will provide options for making the repairs in the most sensible/safe way in the shortest amount of time found acceptable to Cass County. We also will evaluate and offer options for re-anchoring the cooling tower which doesn't allow for a reoccurrence of the material failure. If upon observation of the situation during the repair process it is found and documented that some or all of the responsibility should be that of others even though outside the warranty period, we will then assist in pursuing monetary participation in the repair of the problem by who ever is clearly identifiable as that party. www.fossarch.com 810 Rrst Avenue North Fargo. North Dakota 58102 Phone: 701-282-5505 Fax: 701-232-5338 info@fossarch.com