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Board tables $296,043 HVAC replacement in EEI lease after trustees ask for bids and cost breakdown
Summary
Facilities staff described a failed condenser and 24-year-old AHU at the high school and presented an EEI turnkey estimate of $296,043.45; trustees asked for additional quotes, a cost breakdown and CIP alternatives and tabled the item for two weeks.
Facilities committee chair and Doc Martin presented findings from an investment-grade energy audit and a facilities review that identified a failed condenser (Condenser Unit 2) and an aging AHU (AHU2) serving seven classrooms in the high-school 200 wing. The equipment uses obsolete R‑22 refrigerant and the evaporator coil is not accessible for routine repair, creating both maintenance and safety concerns.
EEI provided a turnkey estimate for replacement of the compressor/condenser, evaporator coil, refrigerant lines, associated electrical and structural work, and safer roof access; the estimate presented to the board was $296,043.45 and would be funded from remaining unassigned lease dollars in the EEI contract. Doc Martin and a facilities committee member said the unit’s age (about 24 years) and possible coil failure made repair a risky, potentially recurring expense.
Trustees questioned the specificity of the number, whether EEI would absorb overruns, and whether it made sense to use lease funds rather than CIP/maintenance funds (leasing carries interest costs). Several trustees recommended getting at least one independent quote or a ballpark cost comparison before committing lease funds; others noted the synergy of coordinating the replacement with an upcoming roofing project and the practical advantages of EEI’s turnkey scope. The facilities committee reported having discussed the matter at length and recommended waiting for additional breakdowns and documentation.
Board action: the board tabled the item to the next meeting and asked administration to provide additional bids, a line-item cost breakdown, and a recommendation on funding source (lease vs CIP) before the next meeting. No vote to approve the expenditure was taken tonight.
