Trousdale County board approves purchase of 160‑ton chiller for middle school

Trousdale County Schools Board members voted to purchase a 160‑ton Trane chiller for the middle school and to add a five‑year parts, refrigerant and labor warranty during their meeting (date on file). The board approved the purchase by voice vote with all members saying “aye.”

Board members discussed a load study that recommended a 150‑ton capacity for the school but noted Trane’s commonly available units are 140 and 160 tons. Board members and staff said the district planned to buy the 160‑ton unit so the school would not be undersized and to qualify for available incentives. A district representative stated the district expects to apply for a reimbursement grant that pays $200 per ton, which the board estimated would amount to about $32,000 once the chiller is installed and the district applies for reimbursement.

The board heard that the purchase price discussed in the meeting packet referred to the equipment only and did not include installation. A representative said the chiller is built to order and the manufacturer’s typical lead time is several months, so the district expects installation to occur after delivery; the district does not yet have an installation timeline. Board discussion also covered an optional extended warranty the board could add for parts, refrigerant and labor for an additional fee; the meeting record includes a district staff estimate for that extended warranty.

A board member moved to purchase the Trane chiller through the Omn iPartners (OmniPartners) piggyback procurement and to add the five‑year warranty; the motion was seconded by Mister Wood and passed by voice vote with no recorded nay votes. The motion as discussed covered purchase of equipment only; board members said they will solicit bids for installation when ready and that installation will require separate contracting and permits.

District staff said the district had a certified installer nearby and named a company on the phone call, but they also said they would publicly bid installation work. Board members noted that certain exterior work on other district projects will require fire marshal approval and said they would follow the same process for the chiller installation.

The board asked staff to proceed with the equipment purchase as approved and to return with installation bids and a recommended installer at a future meeting. The district will apply for the reimbursement grant after installation per the grant’s reimbursement rules.