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Consultants say Bellwood HVAC, lighting are past life; district weighing phased upgrades
Summary
Facility Advocates told the David City board Bellwood Elementary has multiple HVAC units from 1994 and recommended LED lighting and ventilation upgrades; the district discussed paying from depreciation funds, possible multi-year scheduling and next steps to secure guaranteed maximum prices.
Facility Advocates consultants presented a facilities assessment and a recommended phase-one project focused on Bellwood Elementary, telling the board many HVAC units date to 1994 and are past typical life expectancy.
Greg Barnes, a consultant and retired superintendent, and Nathan Prisler, a project developer, summarized their executive report and a Bellwood-specific proposal. They identified ten classroom HVAC units still original to 1994, multiple units replaced more recently, and an estimated $600,000 in replacement need for Bellwood’s HVAC plus roughly $100,000 for LED lighting — a total they discussed as “about $700,000” for the facility. Barnes said the consultants also estimated $1.5 million to $2.2 million of HVAC work at David City Elementary and about $2.2 million-plus at the high school.
The consultant team recommended starting with Bellwood in a phased approach and emphasized energy savings from LED lighting and possible ventilation improvements. “An automation system will help correct [thermostat misuse] because it resets all of that, limits the amount of control that teachers have, and … you’re going to get the money back on that investment too,” Prisler said.
Board members asked about warranties, controls and ventilation. Facility Advocates described a standard one-year project warranty plus manufacturer warranties on equipment and recommended adding centralized controls and CO2/humidity data logging to improve indoor air quality and reduce hidden costs such as substitute-teacher expenditures from increased illness.
On financing, the superintendent said the district has about $1.6 million in the depreciation fund and could use that account for a summer replacement at Bellwood without amending the budget; subsequent phases for David City Elementary and the high school would likely draw on building funds or levy decisions and might take two to four years to complete.
Next steps outlined by consultants included committing in the fall to allow ordering before year-end (to avoid expected price increases on equipment) and, if the board decides, presenting a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) at a November or December meeting for Bellwood’s phase-one work.
What’s next: if the board approves a phase, consultants said they would pursue contractor pricing and deliver a GMP so the board can vote on a concrete contract and schedule.
