Senate committee reviews funding for Vermont Veterans Home sprinkler, elevator and sewage upgrades

The Senate Institutions Committee on April 14 heard detailed updates from Vermont Veterans Home staff about maintenance and renovation work the facility says is now urgent.

Steve McClafferty, finance director at the Vermont Veterans Home, and Greg Kurzan, the home’s director of environmental services, told the committee that design work for a planned A‑wing renovation exists but has been scaled back for cost effectiveness, and that more immediate safety work includes replacing the facility’s aging sprinkler heads, upgrading elevators and overhauling failing sewer lines.

Kurzan said the sprinkler heads in the East, B and C wings are about 47–49 years old and noted, “the maximum lifespan of a sprinkler head is 50 years,” a condition the home documented in a recent VA survey. He said one contractor bid to replace the sprinkler heads returned a price a little over $246,000 and that draining the system and replacing expired glycol antifreeze would add roughly $36,000, putting total sprinkler‑system work in the higher three‑hundreds of thousands once installation and related labor are included. Kurzan said he expects three bids for that work and prefers a low‑maintenance canister/flat‑plate style head that sits above ceiling tiles.

On funding, committee members reviewed a line listing design and construction for A‑wing at $1,250,000 and an earlier bonded authorization of about $1.5 million. McClafferty said leftover monies from the $1.5 million appropriation could be used for sprinkler work. When a committee member asked whether splitting appropriations across projects would affect federal reimbursement, McClafferty and Kurzan explained that where VA funding applies the VA typically reimburses approximately 65% with the state covering about 35%, and that the VA is generally asked to participate when project costs (as spent) reach thresholds that trigger separate VA project consideration.

Kurzan also briefed members on Line 60 items: elevator upgrades are in design and recent engineering estimates for elevator scope came in lower than prior projections, while the main sewer lines are failing and contractors are being solicited to replace 4‑inch cast iron with larger PVC lines. He said the committee’s current $1.25 million figure rolled between the elevator and sewage projects should be sufficient for the planned work.

On Line 57, Kurzan said the facility purchased 56 heat‑pump/air‑handler units; several arrived dead‑on‑arrival and the vendor agreed to replace those units and cover installation time for failed units. He said the home will hire a contractor to complete professional installation to meet the project’s planned schedule.

For Line 58 (laundry expansion), Kurzan described alternatives to a new 1,100‑square‑foot addition, including retrofitting an existing A‑wing dining hall and its basement plumbing access. He told the committee that an engineer’s retrofit estimate appeared high (reported to the committee as about $600+/sq ft) and that staff are exploring lower‑cost local contracting options and per‑square‑foot estimates they consider more realistic ($300–$400/sq ft). Committee members asked about energy‑code triggers when exterior walls or windows would be altered and whether work must go through the State’s Buildings and General Services (BGS) procurement process; staff and members said code compliance and procurement rules need to be confirmed before final decisions.

Chair closed the Veterans Home portion of the review by thanking McClafferty and Kurzan. No formal vote or motion was recorded at the hearing; presenters said they would return with updated designs, additional bids and any requested clarifications on funding reallocation and VA reimbursement timing.

The committee scheduled additional witnesses for the next day on related capital construction topics.