Board approves local firm for Heatcraft condensing unit replacement

The Ogilvie Public School District board voted unanimously to accept Murphy Mechanical Services’ lower bid to replace a Heatcraft condensing unit, district participants said. Board members and staff debated warranty options and potential roofing and electrical costs before the vote.

The board’s discussion centered on competing quotes and warranty language. Participants said the base equipment carries a standard two‑year warranty and that a compressor warranty listed as '2 to 5' years appeared to be an optional add‑on. Staff noted Joe Murphy, who previously worked on the building under another vendor, is now independent and insured; RJ Mechanical provided an informal verbal estimate but not a formal written quote. Saint Cloud Refrigeration’s formal quote was recorded in the transcript as 40,535.

Board members also asked about manufacturing origin and lead times for replacement units. Participants named Heatcraft and Trenton as manufacturers and discussed North American plants and local availability; several cautioned that some prior equipment purchases had long lead times, and one participant said work could be completed by December if ordered soon. Staff said roofing and electrical modifications were expected to be minimal and that Gary would coordinate any necessary work; the project will be funded from the building bond.

A committee member recommended awarding the work to Murphy Mechanical Services, saying the local firm would save the district roughly $1,500 compared with the higher bid. The participant indicated they had moved to accept Murphy’s proposal; a roll call produced aye votes from Member Smith, Member Wilder, Member Schroeder, Member Beck and the Chair, and the motion passed unanimously.

The meeting record as provided contains inconsistent numeric formatting for Murphy Mechanical’s quoted amount; members read the figure in several different ways in the transcript, which is why reporting refers to Murphy’s bid as roughly a $38,000 figure. The transcript explicitly records Saint Cloud Refrigeration’s quote as 40,535. The transcript did not record a clear formal mover/second text for the Murphy award motion beyond the recommending speaker’s statement that they had made the motion.

After the procurement vote, participants completed administrative items including signing minutes and discussing the Minnesota Department of Education checklist for the district’s 4‑day week application. A later procedural motion on agenda item 18 passed unanimously and the meeting was adjourned.