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Facilities contractor shows neglected HVAC conditions; district told $1.2M spent trying to catch up
Summary
Star Services presented photos of neglected HVAC units across district schools and said the contractor spent about $1.2 million in the first three months of its July 1 contract bringing systems up to standard; company expects to reduce service calls sharply in year one.
Contractor Star Services presented the Lafayette Parish School Board with photographs of neglected HVAC equipment across district schools and described the scope of work it has undertaken since beginning a professional-services contract on July 1.
"Majority of these systems have never been touched... years and years of neglect," said Greg Artigo of Star Services as he described interior and exterior equipment conditions and the contractor's preventive-maintenance approach. Artigo said the firm's fixed-cost professional-services contract covers repairs, maintenance and equipment replacement and that crews focused on interior units during summer months.
Board members reacted strongly to the images. "How do you have a maintenance service contract with a company and this is what you encounter basically the day after their contract ends?" Board President Lachelet asked, adding that the district had spent millions under prior arrangements and that conditions shown were unacceptable.
Star Services reported that in August the company received more than 500 service calls and expected to cut that number roughly in half in year one of its contract. The contractor told the board it had spent about $1,200,000 in the first three months of the contract to get systems up to speed and that many units required deep cleaning and, in some cases, replacement.
District officials asked Star Services to provide periodic updates. "If you could periodically, whether it be once a quarter, twice a year, come back and give us an update and keep us advised of what's going on," the board president said. A facilities staff member with university facilities experience noted the visible plant issues reflect "years of neglect." The contractor said its preventive-maintenance program is intended to reduce costs over time by avoiding repeated emergency repairs.
No formal board action on the contract was taken at the meeting; the presentation was informational and followed by requests for regular reporting.
