Trane official tells Robertson County commission Omnia cooperative saved nearly $2.5 million; commissioners ask about warranties and refrigerant

A Trane company representative told the Robertson County Commission on Sept. 15 that the county’s energy program, executed through a publicly bid cooperative agreement, has saved “almost 2 and a half million dollars” compared with the guaranteed baseline.

The representative summarized how a qualified cooperative works under federal procurement guidance (citing CFR 200.318) and described the Omnia purchasing cooperative used by Robertson County and Robertson County Schools. He said the contract is a single, publicly bid award in which Trane submitted product and labor categories and was the sole awardee for the categories in question. The representative said the cooperative provides an "open book" audit file for every job and third‑party attestation of compliance with the cooperative’s terms.

Commissioners pressed the company on practical differences between using Omnia and traditional plan‑and‑spec procurement. The Trane representative said traditional procurement requires hiring an architecture/engineering firm to draw specifications and can produce variable bids that must be reviewed and sorted; by contrast, a qualified cooperative is publicly bid and intended to streamline purchasing for state and local governments. He warned that plan‑and‑spec projects can generate change orders tied to engineering scope; he said Trane’s approach is to absorb missed items rather than generate change orders to the county.

On warranty, the representative said typical plan/spec installations carry a one‑year installation warranty and one‑year product line coverage unless the county secures additional manufacturer coverage. He said his company “will put the maximum extended warranty we can get from the manufacturer, especially if it’s trained into the project,” and named five‑year parts and labor as an example of an extended warranty they pursue when available.

Commissioners also raised safety and supply concerns related to newer refrigerants. The Trane representative acknowledged the industry shift driven by EPA mandates and said some refrigerants are classified as flammable under certain conditions. He emphasized that the risk is limited — "it’s not like you open the valve and hold a match and it’ll flame" — and attributed earlier availability problems to valve‑compatibility and supply issues that have since largely been resolved.

Mayor and commissioners thanked the presenter and noted that the project will return to the Building & Grounds committee for further review and a committee vote before any final procurement action. The representative offered to provide the full master services agreement documentation to planning and audit staff for review.

The presentation included handouts and a front‑page copy of a master services agreement describing state participation; commissioners asked staff to verify procurement compliance and bring the item back to the committee for a formal vote.