Tekton says supplier delays pushed HVAC timeline; board approves $1.3M payment and related invoices

The Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co board approved a series of payments tied to a district HVAC bond project and heard from contractor representatives about delivery delays that could affect classroom cooling at the start of school.

Staff asked the board to approve payments related to the project, including $29,100 to Brand Electric for electrical work, $1,307,328.65 to Tekton for plumbing and heating, $113,975 to SCS Construction Services for construction services and $35,637 to TACOM for construction management. The board approved the Brand Electric, Tekton and TACOM payments on voice vote (recorded in the transcript as 6–0); the transcript records motions and seconds for the SCS payment but does not capture a clear tally in the audio text.

Tekton representatives described replacing HVAC equipment across the high school and elementary school, including multiple condensing units and about 26 unit ventilators. Company representatives said extended lead times at the factory pushed some deliveries, with one presenter saying the manufacturer had moved ship dates into late July and potentially mid‑August for some equipment. “I apologize for the equipment stuff. I can’t control it. They didn’t communicate with us,” said the Tekton representative, who asked for patience while suppliers worked through production issues.

Contractors outlined a plan to keep portions of the buildings cooled during work by installing temporary ducting and trailer‑mounted equipment. They described the need to set a temporary transformer near the site (parked on a trailer beside existing transformers) and recommended perimeter fencing to keep students away from the equipment. A board member urged coordination with district staff to ensure safe barricading for children on recess duty.

On scheduling, contractors said the major connection and start‑up of a new rooftop unit would take about a week once the equipment arrived, but final commissioning requires a final connection that may cause short interruptions to temporary cooling. They said they could work nights or during fall break if necessary; the contractor reiterated a target of providing cooling throughout both buildings by Aug. 3 while cautioning that not all individual unit ventilators might be installed by that date.

Board members noted that the recommended payments were already authorized in the district’s bond and lease budgets and described the approved amounts as within those previously authorized scopes. The meeting record shows motions, seconds and voice votes approving the listed payments; where an explicit tally was not captured in the transcript excerpt, the article notes the missing detail.

The board asked staff and contractors to coordinate timelines and safety plans with school schedules and to report back to the board on any material changes to arrival dates or work plans.