Anne Stevens, director of nutrition services, presented a request Dec. 2 to approve purchase of eight food-warming carts to update the districts meal-delivery system. The carts would be deployed as follows: one each at Lanigan, Longacre, Forest and Hillside elementary schools, and four for the Farmington Early Childhood Child Care Center (FECC).

Procurement details: Four competitive bids were received with prices ranging from $79,962 to $84,831; Stevens recommended Gold Star Products, which bid $79,962. Pricing was guaranteed through Dec. 24 and would require re-solicitation in January if not approved. Stevens said funds would come from the food-service fund and noted the purchase aligns with the districts spend-down plan.

Operational reasons and questions: Trustees asked how the warmers would be used and whether they were replacements or added capacity. Stevens said elementary schools have higher enrollment and meal participation rates, and some existing warmers are aging; the new carts would serve as primary units while older warmers would be kept as backups. For FECC, she said current bags are in poor condition and new carts would allow for safer hot-food delivery and rotation of units.

Outcome and next steps: This presentation was a discussion item; trustees asked for follow-up information about inventory and how this purchase fits into past equipment approvals. Staff indicated they would provide additional inventory context at a future meeting prior to final approval.