Laurel board awards middle‑school boiler contract after technical review and funding discussion

The Laurel Public Schools Board of Trustees voted to accept the recommended bid for replacement boilers at the middle school after a technical presentation and discussion about funding.

Facilities staff member Matt summarized bids received and said a third‑party reviewer, Jeff Krazinga, examined the proposals and recommended the low bidder. Matt said the proposal would replace older cast‑iron boilers with two modern steel units that match equipment already in other district buildings and leave one older boiler in place as a backup. "We won't need [the backup], but we'll keep one old boiler there in case something happens so we can still circulate warm water," Matt said.

Board members pressed staff on contractor familiarity and procurement. Chair asked whether the recommended contractor had worked for the district before; staff said they had not used that contractor previously but the reviewer was familiar with the firm and had submitted a supporting letter. The transcript shows the recommended bidder described in bid documentation as "Plum Montana Incorporated" at $363,000, while the motion to award referenced a contract amount of $363,900 and a contractor name rendered as "Colonial Montana"; the record in the transcript is inconsistent on the contractor name and exact figure.

Wayne, who spoke about technical details, told the board the new boilers are steel and should have a lifespan of about 20 years if properly maintained. "The old ones were cast iron; those were starting to crack. These are good boilers," Wayne said.

Board members asked about how to pay for the work. Staff said one option is to use the elementary‑building reserve; a staff member estimated the elementary building reserve balance at roughly $6,700,000 but said that figure was not confirmed in the meeting. The board also discussed Intercap loaning as an alternative to avoid drawing down reserves; staff described Intercap as a low‑interest loan program for school projects with historically low rates (participants referenced rates around 1–2% in general terms). Matt cautioned that borrowing would add interest costs to the project and would create a new line item in the general fund budget.

Jenny moved to accept the recommended bid as presented by staff and supported by the third‑party reviewer; the motion was seconded and the Chair called the vote. The motion carried.

The district did not record a roll‑call vote tally in the transcript; the public record provided in the meeting shows only verbal agreement ("All in favor, say aye") and the Chair's announcement that the motion carried. The board also discussed potential next steps for procurement and scheduling to complete work before fall.

The district indicated staff will proceed with contracting and coordinate implementation; no additional formal funding authorization beyond the contract award was recorded in the meeting minutes provided in the transcript.