Facilities director recommends amended capital improvement plan to shift funds for HVAC/roof needs; board approves amendment 4-0

Lenny Laschner (facilities/construction staff) briefed the board on the district's capital improvement projects with an emphasis on HVAC and roof replacement planning, long-term replacement costs and short-term preventive maintenance.

The nut graf: staff said a recent review of HVAC and roof assets shows substantial future replacement needs; by re-evaluating equipment sizing and taking advantage of bond mobilization and contractor resources, the district can shift some budgeted capital amounts to address failing HVAC units at campuses outside the new high school footprint. The board approved an amended capital improvement plan later in the meeting.

Laschner said the district has about 456 rooftop units, four chillers, and a VRF (chilled-water) system at the middle school and that a 10-year replacement plan currently projects a roughly $4,000,000 shortfall for HVAC replacements and about $10,000,000 for roofs if nothing changes. He explained factors that affect replacement decisions: unit sizing, structural support, electrical capacity, refrigerant types (R-22, 410A, 404A, and forthcoming 454B), lead times and recent unit-cost increases (he cited roughly a 28% increase in unit costs).

Laschner described work to re-scope some planned replacements after engineering review (EMA/WRA) and said the auditorium unit replacements originally scheduled may be oversized and that a re-evaluation could save about $250,000—30,000. He also noted reimbursements and mobilization efficiencies tied to the new high school construction could reduce replacement costs districtwide.

To reduce risk in the near term, Laschner said the district has instituted a robust preventative-maintenance schedule (quarterly PM checks that include filter changes, coil cleaning and belt inspections) and will document PM activity across seasons to prolong equipment life.

Board action: later in the meeting the board voted to approve the amended capital improvement projects as presented (motion text: "approve the amended capital improvement projects as presented"). The clerk recorded the vote as 4'0 in favor, 0 opposed. The board discussion acknowledged the potential savings and the decision to move funds only after coordination with the bond-construction team and engineering reviews.

Ending: staff will return with detailed project-level scopes and schedules and will coordinate contract timing to gain mobilization and crane efficiencies tied to the high school bond schedule.