Subcommittee receives district air-quality report; directs purchase referral for dehumidifiers and notes $3.5M grant for Green School upgrades

The Fall River City Facilities and Operations Subcommittee on Oct. 30 received a comprehensive air-quality update and directed staff to refer a purchase request for additional large dehumidifiers to the full committee.

Staff reported an inventory of 148 small, non-pumped dehumidifiers used in classrooms and sinks; 66 medium-sized pumped dehumidifiers; and 17 large dehumidifiers the district has purchased to reduce reliance on rentals. The district is currently renting about 20 large units. Staff said the district may seek to purchase an additional 10 large dehumidifiers in spring (April–May), depending on available funds, so rentals are not required during the next high-humidity season.

The committee also heard that the Green School has been awarded a roughly $3.5 million grant that will fund an air-cooled chiller and building-management-system (BMS) controls for that facility at no cost to the district. Staff said installation of the chiller and the BMS controls (which provide remote and granular control of temperature and ventilation) will begin in the coming summer and that the BMS work alone represents a substantial portion of the grant-supported scope.

Members discussed the district’s broader plan for central dehumidification (DOAS rooftop units) to match the advanced systems at Watson and Durfee and reduce humidity across buildings. Committee members raised vendor and contract concerns about fragmented responsibilities among Trane, ENE and other vendors and suggested exploring in-house HVAC expertise to reduce long-term contractor dependency.

On abatement and indoor-air documentation, staff said licensed-site-professional (LSP) records and building asbestos books have been recreated and are now maintained; all abatement work and related documentation will be stored in building-specific binders and retained per regulatory timelines.

A committee member moved to refer a purchase request for 10 additional large dehumidifiers to the full committee so the equipment would be available before peak season; the motion was seconded and recorded as referred.