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Commissioners approve replacement of 15-year-old HVAC at county airport FBO
Summary
The commission approved replacing the aging heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the county fixed-base operator facility and accepted procurement to proceed; staff cited concerns about obsolete refrigerant and a very low vendor bid.
Limestone County commissioners voted to replace the 15-year-old HVAC system at the county airport fixed-base operator (FBO) facility after staff reported the unit was leaking and that replacement parts and refrigerant for the existing system are being phased out.
County staff told the commission the existing system was about 15 years old and had a leaking evaporator coil and a failing compressor. "The system that's out there is 15 years old, had leaking the evaporator coil, and we've had a leaking... the compressor is turned up. So in a 15 year old system, smart money is going to replace it now," one speaker said.
Staff reviewed multiple bids and noted one vendor's price was markedly lower than the others; the speaker told commissioners that the low bid raised questions about whether the vendor had accurately priced equipment or scope. The vendor named in the discussion as the lowest bidder was "Serna," which staff said may have underpriced the quote to gain entry into county work; staff said they verified the low quote included equipment.
Commissioners moved and seconded to proceed with replacing the FBO HVAC; the motion carried on the record and staff will use available budgeted funds to pay for the replacement. No contractor award was finalized during the meeting transcript beyond acceptance to proceed with procurement and use of existing funds.
Staff said the FBO remains a public facility pilots use for weather checks and rest; while smartphone technology has reduced some usage, staff noted FAA requirements may require the facility to remain available.
The commission directed staff to proceed with the procurement and return with formal award documents and paperwork for the project.
