The Fort Atkinson City Council on Aug. 19 approved two items related to the new Public Works and Parks operations facility HVAC system: (1) an invoice not to exceed $9,500 from Total Mechanical for initial service work and (2) authorization for a commercial HVAC maintenance contract with Total Mechanical to actively service the system.

Acting on behalf of Superintendent Williamson, staff said the new facility’s HVAC system requires scheduled maintenance to maximize lifespan and performance. Total Mechanical, which designed and installed the system, provided an initial proposal that staff negotiated. Total Mechanical performed the first service on a time-and-materials basis; staff recommended approving the invoice for the work and then authorizing an annual maintenance contract.

Staff described the first-year contract cost at $9,500, with an automatic annual renewal and a 4% annual increase; the first payment under the contract would be $9,880 in 2026. The 2025 budget includes $20,000 in the general fund account for contracted services and to date the available balance was about $19,443.27. Council approved the invoice and later approved the maintenance contract and authorized the city manager to execute it.

Council members commented that annual professional maintenance will help protect the city’s investment in the new facility and that negotiating the contractor’s cost reductions was positive for taxpayers.