ORDER-2017-175 : Authorization to appropriate $60,000 from: Fund 3376-Fire Station Roof Bond to: Fund 3382 - HVAC Repairs

Transcript (~9 min @ 2:09:52)

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▶ 2:09:28 Peter D. Mortimer: Second. Alderman McAteer-Margolis has made a motion to recommend this order to the full board for passage, duly seconded by Alderman Forbes. Any further discussion? All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, this order will be recommended to the full board for passage. The next order we have before us is order 2017-175. Authorization to appropriate $60,000 from 3376 fire station roof bond to fund three three eight two HVAC repairs mr.

▶ 2:10:06 Speaker 7: Shana please thank you these funds were originally borrowed pursuant to order 2015 142 to pay for our municipal building renovations and repairs slated for the central station roof we made emergency repairs to that over the last year they're holding with the ongoing feasibility study of all of our public safety buildings this money became available and we have another emergency need at our library if i may through the chair i have a letter from director of the library linda linda gardner i'd like to just read it into the record and i'll forward it for the forum for the file please proceed members of the board of aldermen i'm writing in support of order 2017-175 before the board of alderman this evening the library's hvac chiller which is almost which is over 21 years old has become increasingly unreliable over the past several years i have been informed that hvac vendors have recommended no further money be put into repairs for an end-of-life piece of equipment having an effective HVAC system is essential in our public library for our special collections our staff and our patrons the most recent professional preservation assessment identified the HVAC as an area for improvement because of adverse effects on unique historical Melrose maps and documents the library serves as a place of refuge in extreme weather offering a pleasant break in the day for families and a shelter for populations at risk the current system is already unable to maintain comfortable levels and very high temperatures if the chiller breaks down completely we would have to close the library during some of those days which would have a negative impact on both our collections and our daily services to the community John's generous DPW staff have done their usual thorough job of investigating this challenge and possible solutions it's my understanding that the proposed new chiller would be compatible with the proposed renovations possible through the anticipated MLBC construction grant for this reason and the adverse effects of not having a functional HVAC system in the near future I am strongly in favor of this proposal I thank you for your time and your consideration just to back up some of the statements miss Gardner we we have been struggling which with this chiller for a few years now our in-house HVAC technician has literally worked work magic last year to keep it running we turned it on when we got that brief warm spell seems centuries ago but was a month ago and the main barrel of the unit is leaking the parts are very difficult to find the refrigerant is so old it's very expensive what we did is we contracted with Griffith and very they're the they're the mechanical engineer that tap a who's looking at the renovation project is working with and we asked him for his opinion he looked at repairing it he looked at possibly bringing something from a school over with you know a three to five year shelf life in this this way we would bring it over set it up buy something new for a school and when that project came forward addressing at that point and then we also looked at addressing it now with the needs for the future they recommended the third option of purchasing a chiller today that can be retrofitted when that project happens um we feel very comfortable with their recommendation and it's a need that again we we would like to address with this transfer of already borrowed funds

▶ 2:14:03 Peter D. Mortimer: thank you very much mr. Shana first in queue we have alderman's work oh thank

▶ 2:14:07 Michael P. Zwirko: you thank you mr. chairman I just wanted to address two points in the letter that I'm appreciative of and I will be supporting this at the very end of the letter you stated that this will be compatible excuse me miss Gardner stated that this she's under the understanding this would be compatible should we not only received the library grant that we applied for earlier this winter but also should that project be funded so I'm very pleased to hear that because I don't want to just put money at something that's temporary and this will be a long-term fix for the issue I will also note that I believe it was you mr. Shannon not miss Gardner it might have been I apologize if I'm incorrect but they stated that the library can be used as a refuge during periods of hot weather weather I know that when we have had heat waves here in the city through outlets public outlets the mayor's blog and the like library is one of the places that we do open up as a cooling station so I agree with that so I'll be pleased to support this order and I think that this is using the funds that couldn't be used elsewhere it's a good use of these funds Thank You mr.

▶ 2:15:17 Peter D. Mortimer: chairman is that a motion all the ones were a motion to recommend a motion to recommend this order for passage by Alderman's work Oh Dooley second by alderman forbes seeing no further discussion alderman forbes please yeah one question uh

▶ 2:15:26 Scott M. Forbes: anna stable i'm glad we looked at three options instead of just one so we can kind of look at it from all angles um one question is the sixty thousand dollars do we get an estimate on is that how much it would cost for the new unit yeah we didn't hear anything in the letter saying how

▶ 2:15:43 Speaker 7: much it actually would cost the opinion the probable cost is 52 000 material and installation plus soft costs so the sixty thousand dollars once we value engineering and we get some competitive bid it should be enough to address the issue and we're going to move on it quickly as soon as this order comes out of the full board so that way we can protect ourselves for the summer

▶ 2:16:02 Scott M. Forbes: all right net eight thousand dollars gives you around a fifteen percent buffer in case you go into any overruns exactly okay thank you mr chairman thank you very much uh alderman forbes

▶ 2:16:08 Peter D. Mortimer: next in queue we have alderman Medeiros are you signaling that you risk to uh pass i'd like to

▶ 2:16:15 Monica C. Medeiros: let uh president khan speak who's been a little bit first if you don't mind uh that's that's fine

▶ 2:16:21 Peter D. Mortimer: uh you'll yield the floor to president khan president khan please proceed thank you do we

▶ 2:16:25 Speaker 4: have any more money that we borrowed for the fire roof repair that we haven't expended we have we

▶ 2:16:32 Speaker 7: we'll have about seven to eight thousand dollars left in that account that we recommended stay in there for the next six months to buy us a another winter of emergency repairs is this is this account

▶ 2:16:45 Speaker 4: encumbered for the purpose of fire repairs it's for um it's it's a bond right so i would assume

▶ 2:16:54 Speaker 4: that it can only be expended for the purposes set forth in the bond right which is why we're

▶ 2:17:02 Speaker 4: requesting reauthorization so it isn't covered it can't be used for anything else okay that's

▶ 2:17:06 Peter D. Mortimer: Thank you, President Kahn. Alderman Medeiros, please.

▶ 2:17:10 Monica C. Medeiros: Thank you. Yes, although I'm reluctant to, you know, move funds from something that's already been designated for a specific purpose, obviously this is definitely a need. It's also another capital repair, and I think it would be an appropriate appropriation. I'm wondering if this new change in the HVAC system will actually possibly result in any energy savings? Because I know the new equipment is often more efficient than—how old is the current system at the library?

▶ 2:17:44 Speaker 7: Twenty-one years old.

▶ 2:17:45 Speaker 6: Twenty-one?

▶ 2:17:47 Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean, systems, the chillers today run much more energy efficient. i don't have the specs i'm not an hvac personnel but everything runs a lot more efficient today it'll probably be capitalized when the inside air handle is and everything else gets changed with it when and if there's a renovation but um we this would this will become more energy efficient

▶ 2:18:09 Monica C. Medeiros: oh that's good i i hope that's the case and as was said before the library certainly is a refuge for many people in our community over the summer when it's really hot and very happy that this is something that should we move forward and get this grant and move forward with the library renovation projects that in fact it would be compatible thank you thank you alderman Medeiros

▶ 2:18:31 Peter D. Mortimer: there is a motion made by alderman's worker and secretary by alderman forbes to recommend this order for passage all in favor please say aye aye any opposed hearing none this order will be recommended to the full board for passage thank you next order we have before us is order 2017-173 it is an appropriation in the amount of 160 000 from fiscal year 14 overlay surplus account account 01-123014 to Public Works Drain Design Study account number 014-012-529026. Mr. Shannon, please.