Governing board approves higher job-order contract cap to replace Summit View cooling tower
Summary
The Sunnyside Unified District governing board approved extending the district's job order contract (JOC) spending limit to $1.5 million to allow an expedited replacement of a failing HVAC cooling tower at Summit View; board members voted unanimously. The board also approved two routine schedule items in separate votes.
The Sunnyside Unified District Governing Board voted unanimously to allow the district to use job-order contracting up to $1,500,000 to replace the Summit View HVAC cooling tower system.
Board President Quintero and three other board members approved the extension of the district’s current policy DJE JOC limit (set at $1,000,000) to $1,500,000 so procurement can proceed and vendors can be solicited from purchasing cooperatives.
The request came after district facilities staff told the board the two 100-ton units at Summit View are near failure. "The unit that's there is leaking. It's in bad shape, and it is time for it to be replaced," a district facilities staff member said, adding the district has a 100% design package and expects vendor proposals based on that design. Staff said the district has an application pending with the School Facilities Board but that that board has exhausted much of its current allocation and may not provide timely funding. District staff asked for the higher JOC cap so work could begin quickly if necessary.
Board members discussed the procurement approach and funding. Staff said if the School Facilities Board does not fund the work, the district would use its DAA allocation. A board member asked whether a temporary cooling solution would be needed during construction; staff said a temporary system might be required so classroom conditioning is not interrupted during installation.
The board passed the motion to exceed the JOC limit for Summit View by roll call: Bustamante — aye; Jaramillo — aye; Rodriguez — aye; Quintero — aye. The motion was introduced as a request to "approve the utilization of the job order contract up to $1,500,000 for the Summit View HVAC cooling tower system replacement" and was seconded before the roll call vote.
Votes at a glance - Utilization of JOC up to $1,500,000 for Summit View HVAC replacement — Approved (4–0). - Addition of a regular Governing Board meeting on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. — Approved (4–0). - Change to the start time for the Oct. 14, 2025 virtual meeting from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Approved (4–0).
Why it matters: Facilities staff described the Summit View units as at the end of life and said replacement could cost roughly $1,000,000; the board authorized a higher JOC limit to provide procurement flexibility and to allow the district to act quickly if the systems fail.
The board chair said the policy DJE limit of $1,000,000 has not been updated for years and noted the board should revisit the policy in light of rising construction costs. Staff will solicit proposals from vendors on purchasing cooperatives and return with contract documents as required by district procurement procedures.
