APPRO-2025-4 : An Appropriation from Capital Stabilization in the amount of $52,000 to DPW Facilities to upgrade switchgear components at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School for the purposes of safety and code compliance

Transcript (~3 min @ 3:22)

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▶ 3:18 Mark Garipay: and appropriation from capital stabilization in the amount of $52,000 to the DPW facilities to upgrade switchgear components at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School. For the purpose of safety and code compliance, we have Director Proa Aass

▶ 3:38 Speaker 1: with us tonight, and I will hand it over to you. Thank you.

▶ 3:39 Speaker 2: Welcome. Thank you. Um, so this is a pretty straightforward request. It's $52,000 from the Capital Stabilization Fund.

▶ 3:48 Speaker 3: Um, my understanding is the fund currently has a balance over $600,000.

▶ 3:53 Speaker 2: And in my mind, this is exactly the type of project that

▶ 3:55 Speaker 3: that fund is intended to, to cover.

▶ 3:59 Speaker 2: Um, we had some testing done

▶ 4:00 Speaker 3: of the switchgear at the middle school. Um, actually we did it at all the schools. And, um, we've had some power sort of dips

▶ 4:09 Speaker 2: and spikes that we've been seeing, um,

▶ 4:11 Speaker 3: over the last few months. And so that was part of what we were hoping to discern with the testing. And they did find that there are three faulty breakers and possibly a fourth. Um, and the way the,

▶ 4:23 Speaker 2: the way the electrical system is set up over there,

▶ 4:25 Speaker 3: there's two different, uh, transformers I guess, that need to be shut down in order to access all the equipment.

▶ 4:31 Speaker 2: So they accessed the bulk of the equipment through the first test that they did,

▶ 4:35 Speaker 3: but they have a small component that they still need to test. So they would plan on doing that final test at the time when they're doing the replacement of the other components. Um, so we did include a little bit of contingency in case they find another, um, component that needs to be replaced.

▶ 4:51 Mark Garipay: Thank you. Um, just for, uh, for everyone's information,

▶ 4:56 Speaker 1: there was a, a letter put on or a memo put on your desk.

▶ 4:59 Mark Garipay: Um, tonight the cash balance in capital stabilization fund is currently at $627,074. Um, right now I have Council Hamilton,

▶ 5:11 Ward Hamilton: Thank you. And I appreciate your proactive efforts to address an issue in one of our buildings. And at this time, I make a motion to approve. Second.

▶ 5:22 Mark Garipay: Okay. We have a motion to approve by Council Hamilton.

▶ 5:26 Mark Garipay: Seconded by Council Williams on discussion.

▶ 5:28 Speaker 1: Counselor, comment chair.

▶ 5:29 Manjula Karamcheti: I just have a quick question. I'm just more curiosity than anything else with this kind of thing. How long does it take to upgrade, uh, switch gear and then like how is the school impacted? I believe, and again, just curious.

▶ 5:42 Speaker 2: Yeah, I believe they're hoping to do it over April vacation. Okay, great. But for some reason it wasn't able to be done over April.

▶ 5:46 Speaker 3: It would be done, um, as soon as school gets out. 'cause this, it does have to be shut down, but my understanding is April vacation is the plan. Okay.

▶ 5:53 Speaker 4: Thank you so much. Any

▶ 5:57 Mark Garipay: other questions from the council?

▶ 6:02 Speaker 5: Um, Madam Clerk, can you please take the role on that? Yes.

▶ 6:07 Speaker 6: Counselor Jamine. Uh, counselor fro? Yes. Counselor Hamilton? Yes. Counselor Caram Chetty? Yes. Councilor Romanul? Yes. Councilor Stewart? Yes. Councilor Vandiver? Yes. Councilor Williams? Yes. President Melia? Yes. Councilor Garipay? Yes. Motion passes.

▶ 6:29 Speaker 5: Thank you. Alright, Thank you.