Parks board approves executive review of HVAC quotes and authorizes truck financing outreach

At its Feb. 3 meeting, the LaPorte County Parks and Recreation Board voted to allow staff to submit HVAC replacement quotes for Smith Hall to the executive committee for approval and to pursue financing options for a replacement plow truck.

Superintendent Jeremy briefed the board that two Smith Hall HVAC units date to about 2002 and that a recently installed unit has performed well. He said contractors would provide quotes and requested authority to forward those quotes to the executive committee for final approval once received. The board moved, seconded and approved the delegation by voice vote.

Jeremy summarized the department’s nonreverting balances, saying it had about $48,000 in nonreverting capital and $35,000 in nonreverting operating funds, “so I think that, again, because it's for something that we ran out, I think it'd be a smart thing for us to go ahead and invest back into it and put that money right back into it.” He estimated the HVAC work would cost about $16,000–$18,000.

The board also discussed replacing a 2012 Chevy 2500 plow truck with over 100,000 miles. Jeremy said a new utility-bed truck with toolbox storage would likely cost in the range of $60,000–$70,000 and suggested keeping roughly $35,000 in nonreverting funds as a reserve while seeking county commission assistance to offset part of the purchase. The board moved, seconded and approved a motion allowing Jeremy to approach accounting and the commissioners about financing the truck.

Both motions were approved by voice vote; the board did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting transcript. Jeremy said he would send quotes and financing details to the executive committee and the full board for review. Next steps include receiving firm contractor quotes for HVAC work and obtaining financing proposals or commission commitments for the truck replacement.