02-18-2020-WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — FEBRUARY 18, 2020 10 City Administrator Perrault stated the City Council received a presentation from Johnson Controls regarding their review of the City's cooling and heating system at its November work session in 2019. At that meeting, Johnson Controls presented three options. Option A was recommended as the most efficient and reliable equipment; Option B utilizes similar equipment to our current system but includes relocating the equipment to the rear of the building to address any equipment warranty concerns, and Option C entails replacing our current set up with similar equipment in the same location. Option C would void equipment warranty due to the length of piping from the outdoor equipment to the utility room. City Administrator Perrault also noted that the City's heating system is approaching end of life and maintenance costs have been similar to the A/C costs. If the projects were done concurrently the City could expect approximately 5% savings on the project due to the economies of scale of having both projects done at once. The proposed boilers are high efficiency boilers, a lower cost option could be available but at a reduced efficiency rating. Staff provided further comment on the HVAC unit, along with the budget impact and requested feedback from the Council on how to proceed. Councilmember Holmes asked if the project would have to be bid out if the City were to go with Johnson Controls. City Administrator Perrault reported the City would not have to go through the formal bidding process if the Council wanted to hire Johnson Controls because they were a member of Source Well. He explained this company has an advantage because they were involved in the design and installation of the City's last HVAC system. Councilmember Holden indicated she could not spend $500,000 without putting this project out for bid. She recommended staff request bids for the City's HVAC unit. Councilmember McClung supported this recommendation. Councilmember Holmes stated she would like the City to hire Johnson Controls because they were familiar with the City's HVAC units and current building layout. Mayor Grant commented Johnson Controls could still bid on the project if staff were directed to formally bid the project. Councilmember McClung encouraged the Council to not assume just because Johnson Controls had a lot of experience that they were providing the City with the best option to move forward with this project. He wanted the Council to have several proposals to review before approving a bid. Councilmember Scott supported the City pursuing bids on the HVAC project as well. Council consensus was to direct staff to pursue bids for the HVAC project. H. Summit Development/Met Council Update