Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Audit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CESA 10 audit urges Spooner Area School District to prioritize HVAC, roofing and concession-stand repairs
Summary
CESA 10 presented a district-wide facility audit that flagged near-term mechanical and ventilation needs at the elementary school, aging infrastructure and safety access at the middle school, and major high-school items including heat-pump replacements, geothermal control upgrades and a deteriorating concession stand; the board was advised to weave repairs into a multi-year plan and hold a summer budget workshop.
CESA 10 facility advisors delivered a district-wide audit to the Spooner Area School District board and urged the district to prioritize mechanical and envelope repairs over the next several years.
Lindsay Schreiner, facility advisor with CESA 10, introduced the audit and said it is intended as exposure-level information to feed into the district's multi-year financial and operations planning. Schreiner said the audit updates work done in 2016 and will be discussed again at a budget workshop this summer.
Kyle (CESA 10 project staff) walked the board through building-specific recommendations. For the elementary school he identified near-term mechanical priorities including failing hot-water pumps and suggested adding variable frequency drives (VFDs) to larger motors to reduce energy use. "Hot water pumps ... they're running a lot," Kyle said, and recommended scheduling disruptive pump and air-handler work in summer months to avoid impacting occupancy.
At the middle school, CESA 10 described the building as the district's oldest and recommended immediate assessments on sanitary cast-iron piping (camera scope), new roof-access ladders for safety and replacement of rooftop and floor air handlers approaching end of life. Kyle warned that some systems are beyond expected useful life and advised proactive replacement rather than waiting for reactive failures.
The high-school section of the audit identified larger capital items and higher dollar estimates: replace aging heat pumps on a multi-year cycle, add digital isolation valves and better controls for the geothermal well field, upgrade lighting controls and consider a full track resurfacing. Kyle also flagged the concession stand's precast-concrete components as failing due to internal rebar corrosion and recommended replacing that structure before safety risks increase.
CESA 10 urged a phased approach and suggested combining similar exterior projects (parking, asphalt and track) to seek better pricing through packaged bids. Schreiner told the board that some referendum dollars remain from past projects and could be leveraged as part of a broader capital plan.
Board members asked whether replacing equipment would reduce recurring maintenance costs; CESA 10 replied that targeted replacements and improved controls should lower preventative and emergency maintenance expense and offered to review the district's service agreements for savings opportunities.
Next steps: CESA 10 recommended the board hold a budget workshop this summer to integrate the audit findings into the district's 3–10 year operational and capital plan. The board placed the audit material on file and will consider project sequencing and funding at upcoming meetings.
