The Board of Mayor and Aldermen on May 20 approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Holston Engineering for architectural and engineering services for the Washington Elementary School HVAC replacement project.

The action, requested by Kingsport City Schools and presented through the city manager, passed 7-0 after Alderman Phillips moved and Alderman George seconded. The board heard questions about timing and past work on school HVAC units.

City staff said the replacement is estimated at about $3,000,000. Design and bidding work will proceed this year with the expectation to advertise for construction bids around January and, if schedules hold, install the new system in the following year. Staff cited past ESSER funding that helped place HVAC units in other schools and noted that many systems date to the 1990s.

Board members acknowledged the high cost but expressed support for proceeding with design so the city and schools can include the project in the capital budget and schedule. The resolution authorizes the city to execute the engineering agreement and related documents so design can begin.