Huron commission approves emergency $177,595 boiler replacement at Campus Center

City staff told the Huron City Commission that the Campus Center’s boiler system failed Jan. 27 and that while one boiler was restored the backup is irreparable. Staff asked the commission to approve an emergency procurement to replace both boilers with two new ~1,250,000 BTU units from Allied Climate Professionals LLC for $177,595.

The presenting staff member said the city solicited bids from three local contractors and received only one qualified quote by the Jan. 30 deadline. “We are asking you to consider us replacing the system with the quoted … boilers for at a cost of $177,595,” the presenter said. The city had budgeted $148,000 for the project in the 2026 capital plan, leaving an unfunded gap of $29,595. Staff recommended funding the additional amount from second penny reserves to restore redundancy and avoid further disruption.

Commissioners discussed the procurement choice and the emergency timeline. A commissioner asked what the normal (non-emergency) process would have required; staff said it likely would have involved a mechanical design and several months of work and additional cost. Multiple commissioners praised the engineering team’s quick response to the failure.

Following the discussion, the commission approved the emergency award to Allied Climate Professionals LLC by roll-call vote. Recorded votes in the meeting transcript show the motion carried with all recorded members voting in the affirmative.

Next steps: staff will move forward with procurement and installation under the emergency authorization and will document the budget transfer from second penny reserves to cover the $29,595 shortfall.