For jail inmates and police officers, an annoying noise that echoed in the Law Enforcement Center Tuesday morning was a relief rather than a disturbance.

It was noise from the installation of new air-conditioner condensers on the top of the building.

Unusually hot weather this week has made it urgent to complete the work, which the county board authorized in November last year.

The replacement is intended to trim down the electricity bill. The new condensers consume less than half the energy as the old ones, bringing about a $25,000 annual savings to the county.

The $106,700 cost for the device and installation will be paid through that savings over five years.