Deputies with the Marin County Sheriff’s Office returned to the substation in Point Reyes Station late last month, following months of delays to building renovations that began in December. Major electrical replacements and upgrades to the fire alarm are complete, but deputies are still grappling with several inconveniences—including mismatched office furniture, a lack of lockers and a computer system that is still not fully operational. Since December, deputies have worked out of the Red Barn at Point Reyes National Seashore headquarters while county-hired contractors undertook the interior overhaul. According to Lieutenant Doug Pittman, renovations expected to last four to six weeks stretched to nearly six months due to mistakes, like new lockers that did not fit and an absence of furniture. “We’re having to adapt and make accommodations that we never thought we’d have to,” Lt. Pittman said. “We’re able to function to get our jobs done, but we’re just having to take extra steps to do it.” He added that deputies can access the department’s database through their phones and patrol cars, but have no access to it in the substation. He guessed that the remaining work could take months to complete. More time was needed to upgrade the fire alarm for the building, which was built in 1982 and also houses the fire department. Demolition also revealed unexpected wiring behind the substation’s walls that did not comply with building code and had to be replaced. The extra work bumped the project’s price tag from about $350,000 to over $400,000. Unforeseen additional work that causes delays are common for renovations of older buildings, said Patrick Zuroske, the facilities and planning manager for the Marin County Department of Public Works’ Capital Projects Division. He described the remaining work as minor “punch-list” items. “If there are issues out there, we’ll get them taken care of,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re taking good care of our police and fire and other assets in the county.”