HVAC Q & A with Board member Tom Gehl and Glen Allgaier

The following is my question to Andy Smith, Tom Gehl, and Glen Allgaier regarding the HVAC improvements or replacements on March 28. Glen and Tom answered very promptly. No word yet from Andy (Not meant as an insult, just that I posted all the information I had received. Andy has since commented on my other blog that the board members took care of answering. "It clearly was taken care of.") My emphasis is added in bold

date: Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 11:54 AM
subject: HVAC question
mailed-by gmail.com

Could you please clear up something for me? I thought the HVAC upgrades or replacement would occur regardless of the referendum passing. At least that was the impression given in that article in January about the HVAC study.

http://www.brookfieldnow.com/story/index.aspx?id=709988

If the referendum does not pass, what will be done and what are the costs associated with those upgrades?

Thanks,

Kyle

Tom's reply 5 min. later. (How is that for responsiveness!)

No- absolutely not, Kyle.

The amounts necessary for HVAC upgrade or replacement will NOT occur independent of this referendum.

The only way they would occur is if a referendum INCLUDING them (which this one does), or one established to address ONLY them were authorized...

2nd email:

As to what would occur regarding HVAC if this referendum does not pass, that is unknown. Options would range from "do nothing", to "consider a referendum addressing ONLY HVAC", to crafting an all together different referendum that encompasses HVAC and other areas, as the present one does...

Tom went into more detail about how the dollar amount was too large to "take out of the operational budget". (I would agree if we are talking about a whole system replacement. I just don't agree that the whole system needs replacing.)

Here is Glen's reply from that same day:

Kyle,

Fair question. It is important to recognize that Bill Armstrong had basically created a list of "possible cost savings" in a future HVAC systerm. Certainly if some of them had a fairly rapid payback and if (Big "if") they could fit within the operational budget it would be worth looking at. In terms of the overall HVAC system replacement as proposed, however, it is difficult for me to envision any possible way that a $26 million total expenditure on HVAC could be absorbed within a current capital budget that annually runs about $1 million/year....and that is for non-HVAC expenditures.

Glen

So, there you have it. The total cost to replace the entire HVAC system to make the switch from steam heat only to hot water heat and air conditioning comes at a hefty price tag.

You have to ask yourself if it is worth $26 mil to make that change on April 1st.

ACADEMICS, NOT ATHLETICS: VOTE NO

Links: Betterbrookfield, Vicki Mckenna
Blogs: Practically Speaking, Fairlyconservative