The Fort Atkinson City Council on Aug. 19 approved up to $87,550 to replace a rooftop air-conditioning condenser at the Fort Atkinson Public Library, with funds to come from the Library Trust at Edward Jones.

Library Director Lippert told the council that on June 26 staff discovered the southern-end rooftop condenser was not functioning; technicians found a broken bracket that allowed the fan and motor to fall into the condenser and severely damage the coils. Lippert said two temporary repairs were made by contractors but both were intended only as short-term fixes.

Lippert said technicians recommended full replacement rather than repair because the unit is about 20 tons and that replacing now with a unit using R-410A refrigerant is more cost-effective than later replacing the entire air-handling system to accommodate R-454B refrigerant. She said either option would require a crane and a temporary closure of Merchants Avenue for a few hours.

Library staff solicited estimates from seven HVAC firms and received four replacement proposals; Total Mechanical provided the lowest proposal at $85,000. Lippert recommended allowing a 3% contingency and told the council that the library board reviewed and approved the replacement on Aug. 11 and that, by state statute, the library board has exclusive control of expenditures collected for the library. Lippert said she brought the item to the council per the city’s financial stability guidebook.

Lippert said the library also serves as a Jefferson County-designated cooling shelter and replacing the condenser is necessary to preserve staff working conditions, patron comfort and library materials. The council approved the Total Mechanical proposal by voice vote.

Council members noted the unbudgeted nature of the expense and that the library trust will fund the work.