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School board approves service plan to diagnose HVAC problems instead of wholesale replacement
Summary
The Southwestern school board unanimously approved a vendor service-support agreement to diagnose controller communication issues across district HVAC systems and provide staff training, with a 60-day termination clause and attention to potential ransomware-related connectivity problems.
The Southwestern school board voted unanimously to approve a multi-year service-support agreement aimed at diagnosing and repairing controller communication problems in the district's HVAC systems rather than immediately replacing major equipment.
The plan, presented by consultant Dennis Stockdale of PSG/OCS, calls for a team to inspect controllers and unit connections at the middle and high schools, establish proper scheduling and alarms, and recommend only targeted parts replacements. Dennis said the district’s existing equipment ‘‘is good’’ but that controllers and schedules are not set up correctly, and that restoring communication could avoid a costly full replacement.
Board members discussed the contract’s initial-year cost, which the board was told is higher because a diagnostic team will be on site, and emphasized that the agreement includes a 60-day early-termination clause and training for district maintenance staff. The consultant said training and better scheduling could reduce energy use and offset costs over time.
During discussion, board members asked whether the contract would lock the district into proprietary equipment; the consultant said the vendor can integrate existing controllers from multiple manufacturers. The board also noted recent HVAC outages tied to frozen chillers and discussed temporary classroom accommodations and fan purchases while repairs continue.
The board recorded its approval by voice vote; the contract will allow the vendor to begin work as early as May 1, with staff to monitor year-one results and revisit multi-year renewal terms if savings and diagnostic outcomes reduce future costs.
The board also asked staff to document in the contract the district’s ability to opt out and to spell out training and reporting requirements for school maintenance personnel.
What happens next: vendor diagnostics and initial setup are scheduled to start under the agreement; the board will review the first-year report and energy-savings data before deciding on subsequent renewal years.
