Committees move to replace aging city‑hall chiller; emergency contract waiver approved

Director Rhodes, the city’s director of public service, told committee members the city needs a new chiller for city hall after repeated repairs.

"The chiller is, it's old. It's been repaired many times, and, when it goes out, this building gets to be about 80 degrees," Director Rhodes said, explaining why staff requested a $200,000 appropriation to purchase and install a new unit. The Finance Committee approved that appropriation and a correcting transfer into the proper fund by a recorded vote of 5–0.

At the Service Committee, members considered Resolution 26‑32 to authorize the director of public service to negotiate and enter a contract without competitive bidding for purchase and installation of the new chiller, declaring the purchase an emergency because of a 12‑week lead time to order the unit. Rhodes told the committee the city has a contractor it has worked with to install and monitor similar equipment.

"It's being declared an emergency because it's a 12 week lead time to order the chiller," Rhodes said. Committee members asked whether the contractor had previously undergone competitive bidding; Rhodes said the firm had been through competitive bidding on prior work for the city. The Service Committee approved the emergency waiver and authorized the contract by a vote of 5–0.

The committee actions together clear the path for the city to order the chiller and begin installation work once the contract is executed. Staff did not provide an exact delivery date beyond noting the vendor’s lead time; the committees recorded the actions and forwarded them as appropriate to full council.