Carroll commissioners approve funding for elevator maintenance in county buildings

The Board of Carroll County Commissioners unanimously approved a $506,783.56 contract with Eastern Elevator Service and Sales to replace two elevators inside the Carroll County Office Building in Westminster. Commissioners also approved renewal of a one-year maintenance contract with the company, to service 22 elevators and five chair lifts in county government buildings.

Maintenance and repairs will continue under a new contract in the amount of $5,520 per month with the company, located in Windber, Pennsylvania. Eastern Elevator Service and Sales has had a maintenance contract with the county since 2018.

The county’s office building is located at 225 N. Center St.

Justin Megonnell, chief of the county’s Bureau of Facilities, said though the maintenance contract is for one year, there is an option to extend it an additional four years. Payment for services was included in the county’s adopted fiscal 2024 budget, according to a county briefing paper.

The elevators to be replaced were installed in 1973, Megonnell said.

“While they remain operational, the cost in maintaining them and securing the parts are getting harder and harder to find,” Megonnell said. “By upgrading both cars under a scheduled project, we’re hoping this will minimize the impact on operations.”

Upgrades will be made to the interior of the elevators, entrances on all floors, motors and controls, according to a county briefing paper.

Two other companies submitted bids that were not accepted. Nichols Contracting in Columbia submitted a bid of $871,500, and Chilmar Corporation in Baltimore submitted a bid of $969,396, Megonnell said.

County staff said each elevator could take about six to eight weeks to install, and said one elevator would remain operational as the other is being replaced. There was no date given on when the work will begin.