Officials tackle energy efficiency measures

TEXARKANA, Ark. — Four of Miller County’s main buildings should be more energy efficient by the end of this year — and the process to get that done could start today.

The Miller County Quorum Court will meet at 6 p.m. today on the courthouse’s second floor courtroom to officially enter into an Arkansas Energy Office Performance Contract with the McKinstry energy efficiency consulting firm’s Little Rock-based office.

The firm will help the county finance improvements in lighting, heating and cooling operations for the four buildings. The buildings include Miller County’s courthouse, inmate detention center, health unit and Lantz Lurry Juvenile Detention Center.

Such improvements could include replacing an aged boiler in the courthouse as well as installing a new central air-conditioning system, which would replace the building’s aged individual window air-conditioning units.

The 1939 courthouse turned 80 years old last year, while the county’s health unit used to be the old Michael Meagher Memorial Hospital building, originally built in 1916. Even though the county’s adult criminal detention center only goes back to 2002, county officials have previously said that heating, cooling and lighting technology is continuously changing and improving.

The cost to cover the energy efficiency improvements is expected to be reimbursed completely by money the county saves owing to the new installations.

McKinstry, which started its energy efficiency study of the county’s four buildings in the fall of 2019, recently completed its findings. County officials have previously estimated that energy efficiency improvements on the four buildings could reach substantial completion by the end of this year

In other business, the Quorum Court will consider applying to the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism for grant assistance for the upkeep and improvement of Alex Smith Park.