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Thames River center presents cheaper alternative bid for chiller replacement; committee asks for additional bids
Summary
Thames River Community Services described an originally priced $139,000 chiller replacement and a lower-cost alternative at about $83,000 plus electrical work, and committee members asked staff to obtain additional comparable bids before final award.
Guy Deandre, maintenance manager for Thames River Community Services, presented a chiller replacement proposal for the organization's facility. He said the original vendor bid a direct replacement at about $139,000; engineers and another contractor proposed a redesigned system with the compressor/condenser moved outdoors that Deandre said could be installed for approximately $83,000 (the presentation also cited roughly $4,000 for additional electrical work to move the compressor outside).
Deandre said suppliers that make the older small packaged chillers are few and that some contractors were unwilling to bid the small direct-replacement work. He described long procurement lead times for parts and said the alternative with an outdoor compressor could be quieter for occupants and potentially cheaper overall despite added electrical work.
Committee members asked whether the alternative constituted new technology or a materially different scope; staff clarified it would keep the same performance and capacity but change the equipment configuration and require different line sets and electrical feeds. Committee members urged the applicant to secure additional comparable bids and to be mindful that awardees must bid competitively after funds are awarded.
The committee noted lead times and advised applicants to factor in long procurement and construction schedules if awarded reprogramming funds.
