Council agrees to study HVAC retrofit at old school after Humanitarian Center request

The Cache Valley Humanitarian Center asked the River Heights City Council on Aug. 19 to help pay for a rooftop mini‑split heating and cooling system at the city-owned old school building to improve year‑round comfort in classrooms and the gymnasium.

The center’s representative, Dwight Whitaker, told the council volunteers and program users are enduring high indoor temperatures in summer; he presented three contractor bids and said contractors generally recommended mini‑split heat pumps. Whitaker said the lowest detailed estimate from Rogers HVAC would put the cost for the gym and three classrooms in the “roughly $30,000” range, and that electrical work to connect the units would be additional.

Council members and staff discussed tradeoffs and next steps. Mayor Blake Wright and Public Works Director Clayton Nelson said the city would need to confirm the roof can safely support the equipment and that the city should analyze expected increases in electric bills if the building switches some heating to electric heat pumps. Treasurer Michelle Jensen said she would run an accounting analysis of past utility and rental revenue for the building. Nelson and council staff were asked to place the item on a future agenda with cost, structural and power estimates.

Councilors noted a replacement boiler would be far costlier. Nelson said contractor Wayne Anderson of DWA had estimated roughly $225,000–$250,000 to replace the existing boiler system. Council discussion emphasized that mini‑splits would be permanently attached to the building and would remain city assets after the center’s tenancy ends, and that any change to abandon the boiler would require broad buy‑in from tenants because the building is served by a single electric meter.

Britt (tenant/operator of a studio in the building) said portable units currently in use “do okay” but do not keep rooms comfortable when the sun heats the building; she and others said windows and the building’s poor insulation limit efficiency. Council members asked Whitaker and staff to obtain a structural engineer’s review of the roof, a clearer itemized contractor estimate (including anticipated electrician costs), and an estimate of annual utility impacts. Council consensus was to study the proposal further and return with recommendations; no funding commitment was made at the meeting.

The council also heard that the city has a lease arrangement and that tenants currently pay a portion of utilities through camp or rental fees; council members said any increased electricity costs would likely be passed through to tenants. Whitaker said the center is not seeking immediate action and understands the building was leased “as is.”

Council staff set a follow‑up: schedule the HVAC proposal for a future council agenda, obtain a roof structural check, ask the likely contractor for a per‑unit power‑use estimate, and collect a 12‑month utility/rent accounting summary for the building so the council can model cost‑sharing options.

The council did not vote on funding at the meeting.