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Board approves $30,000-plus change order to complete library HVAC controls
Summary
The Board of Public Works approved change order No. 1 with Lee Mechanical to finish building automation work at the library, covering four additional items primarily to support a single building automation system and avoid mechanical failures; the change order totals just over $30,000.
The Board of Public Works on April 23 approved change order No. 1 with Lee Mechanical to finish building automation and related HVAC work at the city library.
Brandon, a city staff member who presented the item, said the original project combined multiple HVAC control systems into a single building automation system (BAS) and that, during installation, some duct locations and components did not line up with plans, creating the need for additional work. "This project was an HVAC improvement project at the library," Brandon said in his overview.
Staff identified four specific additional items the contractor performed at the city's request: work on dampers, installation of relief hoods, tying the park bathrooms’ mechanicals into the library system, and ceiling temperature monitoring/control panels. Brandon said the change order "is just over $30,000." Board members asked for details on the changes.
Joe Walter, the city's Facilities and Construction Manager, explained the rationale for sensors above the old Carnegie room: "There is exposed piping. There's sprinkler piping, hydronic piping up there. Some of this cost is to provide additional monitoring up there...so we want to be able to monitor that and control that above-ceiling space to ensure that all the mechanicals are taken care of and not bursting pipes and causing damage." He described the sensors as enabling continuous monitoring and alerts through the BAS.
On the park bathroom issues, Walter said staff discovered that a transfer fan in an adjacent conference room was dumping tempered air into the bathrooms, preventing the bathroom unit heaters from operating as the primary heat source. "Right now they're not being utilized because we're constantly pushing exhaust air out of the conference rooms into the bathrooms," Walter said; modifying the ducting and controls will make the system more efficient.
After questions, Joe Piper moved to approve the change order and the board voted 3–0 in favor (ayes from Kevin Riley, Joe Piper and Alderman Eileen Mickleitz). The minutes record the motion passing and the board asked staff to provide detailed itemization if needed for future reference.
The immediate effect is that the BAS work will be completed with the additional monitoring and control items included; staff said the additional expense addresses efficiency, monitoring and the risk of mechanical damage. The change order will be reflected in the library project budget and recorded in the contract file. The board did not request further delay or additional bids for these specific items.
