Monessen councilmembers discussed whether to award a yearly maintenance contract for heating, ventilation and air‑conditioning (HVAC) services to a local contractor identified in the packet as Frank Donnell/Frank Godland Mechanical for a flat fee of $1,800.

Staff described the proposed scope: inspections, filter replacement, controls testing, lubrication, gauge testing, condenser coil cleaning and other routine maintenance for multiple municipal buildings including City Hall, the civic center, fire and police facilities and the city garage. Some councilmembers praised the contractor’s local knowledge and prior work but raised questions about rising prices and whether the city should seek competing bids.

Council members repeatedly asked for an inventory of city‑owned facilities and the number and type of HVAC units at each site so that the city could obtain comparable quotes or prepare an RFP. One council member said the library and annex building should be explicitly included if they are city‑owned. Staff and other council members suggested the city could either solicit quotes informally from area HVAC firms or advertise a formal RFP; several asked to see the contractor’s license and insurance on file before any award.

Council also discussed alternatives: continuing to call vendors on a case‑by‑case basis, requiring a prework checklist for each location, and having the city’s maintenance staff or fire chief perform inventories or preliminary walkthroughs. Staff said the proposed contractor is familiar with the city’s systems and could perform the work at competitive prices, but that any contract award would be brought to council for a vote after staff obtains additional quotes and assembles a list of locations and units.

Ending: Council agreed to continue work on the HVAC topic and asked staff to collect competitive quotes, confirm contractor licensing and insurance, and produce an inventory of municipal equipment and buildings to support any future contract decision.