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Bedford school energy projects delayed as bond contingency and costs rise
Summary
School board liaison Bill Foote told the Energy Commission the Riddle Brook ventilation replacement will proceed this summer but district energy projects ran out of bond funds; the district expects to need additional bonding for remaining work, with possible future roofing bonds and a $350,000 façade upgrade for McKelvey listed as lower priority.
Bill Foote, the school board liaison, updated the Bedford Energy Commission on the school district’s energy and capital projects, saying the Riddle Brook ventilation system will be installed this summer but the district has exhausted bond funds for air-handling units.
Foote said the district is still developing a long-term capital plan and will likely need another bond to cover remaining projects; he estimated that future bonds could be “at least a million or two,” though he did not provide a firm figure.
Commissioners discussed supply-chain and labor shortages that raised actual project contingencies well above the 10% assumptions used when the bond was planned. Foote said some projects would have required a 40% contingency because of post-pandemic supply and labor constraints, which increased overall costs and left several projects unfunded.
Foote also noted an energy-related façade project at McKelvey with an estimated cost of $350,000, but called it nonessential and said it is unlikely to move forward without external funding. Other work, such as roofing, is on the long-range plan but may be deferred for a couple of years.
No formal commission action was taken; the report was provided for information and will be considered as the district and town continue capital planning.
