Sutter County is initiating a significant capital improvement effort by seeking architectural and engineering design proposals for a $6 million heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) replacement project at the Sheriff’s Office Medium Jail in Yuba City. This substantial project aims to thoroughly modernize the environmental control systems within the facility.
The specific facility targeted for these upgrades is the Medium Jail, which is located at 1077 Civic Center Boulevard in Yuba City. This structure, a 16,775-square-foot building, was originally constructed in 1993. The county's proposed solicitation is designed to secure comprehensive construction documents, which are essential for the replacement of the existing HVAC units. Beyond just the HVAC systems, the project scope also includes a range of related upgrades encompassing architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing elements to support the new installations and ensure overall facility integrity.
According to the October 13 Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sutter County supervisors were scheduled to consider authorizing a formal request for proposals (RFP) to solicit these critical architectural and engineering services. The county has indicated that the foundation for pursuing funding for these replacements stemmed from a detailed facility assessment, which was completed in summer 2025. This assessment identified the needs that led to the current project. Building on these findings, the Board of Supervisors took action in September 2025, approving a substantial $6 million increase in appropriations. This funding increase is specifically earmarked for the County Jail Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Project, which is formally identified in the agenda packet as project PJ-100643.
The timeline for prospective design consultants is clearly outlined within the RFP. Companies interested in providing these architectural and engineering services are required to submit their proposals by 3 p.m. on November 18, 2026. Following this submission deadline, the proposals received are scheduled for an internal ranking process on December 4. The county has an anticipated date of January 26, 2027, for the awarding of a consultant contract, moving the project into its next phase.
Once a preferred consultant is formally selected through this process, the county's subsequent step will involve negotiating the specific scope of work and the associated cost for the required design services. After these negotiations are successfully concluded, the resulting independent contractor agreement will then be presented to the Board of Supervisors for their final review and approval, ensuring transparent oversight of public expenditures.
Despite these forward steps in seeking design services for the critical HVAC replacement at the Medium Jail, certain significant project details have not yet been established. The agenda materials, specifically, do not indicate the outcome of the October 13 consideration by the supervisors regarding the authorization of the request for proposals. Furthermore, the exact design-contract amount, which will be determined through negotiations with the selected consultant, has not yet been set. The overall construction schedule for the extensive HVAC replacement and associated upgrades also remains undetermined at this stage. These outstanding elements will be finalized as the project progresses through its planning and development phases.
