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Council advances community center budgeting, debates HVAC noise fix and contractor responsibilities
Summary
The council authorized further budgeting work for community center improvements and approved a small final contractor payment. Councilors debated a vendor quote (~$7,800) for a duct silencer to reduce city hall HVAC noise and ultimately declined to proceed pending more investigation and input from the original designer.
Councilors authorized staff to proceed with design and budget development for improvements to the community center (the school section behind the gym), and they approved a final $4,999.99 payment to the general contractor for prior work on city projects. The meeting included extended discussion about persistent HVAC noise in city hall and whether to approve a quoted duct silencer.
City staff described a planning‑level estimate prepared to move the community center project toward construction documents. Jackie explained that they had relied on Amanda Isaac at Witsa for prior heating system work and recommended she continue with drawings and bid documents because she is familiar with the building. "She worked on the whole heating system," Jackie said, and staff argued that using a designer already familiar with the building would expedite next steps.
On a separate facilities item, staff brought a quote from Iron Range Plumbing & Heating for a duct silencer (just shy of $7,800) intended to reduce noisy air‑conditioning sounds in parts of city hall. Jackie and Jerry explained the building management system has many interdependent settings and that staff have been "tweaking them" to mitigate noise. Jackie said she had mixed emotions about spending the money without stronger assurance of results and asked for an additional opinion or a memo from the original designer. She asked Amanda to provide either a site visit or a comprehensive memo so the operations staff could be confident the proposed fix is appropriate.
Councilors raised concerns about effectiveness and timing: some questioned whether the silencer would deliver a substantial reduction during the summer air‑conditioning season and whether it was prudent to spend limited capital now. One councilor summarized the unease: "Maybe we could spend $8,000 and won't do a damn thing," and others urged another review before committing funds. Staff agreed to obtain more documentation from the designer and the contractor and to meet with building operators before any final approval. The council did not approve the duct silencer quote; members instead asked for additional analysis and vendor/designer input before deciding.
Separately, council approved final payment to contractor Max Crate Construction, releasing retained funds after staff reported control adjustments and acceptance of the completed work. The council also discussed elevator access for future phases of the community center and whether elevator servicing should be deferred until a later phase or grant funding is obtained.
