Board approves central-plant contract for Maricopa High School

The Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board voted May 13 to approve a job order contract for a new central-plant system at Maricopa High School.

Mr. Harmon presented the project and said the current central plant is beyond its useful life and has suffered damage and repeated repairs. "This is a new plant and new control system plus real redundancy," Harmon said, explaining the project ties to the workforce-development and gym-renovation construction projects. He outlined funding of about $2.3 million in bond funds and $1.5 million in district local funds for the work.

Board members pressed for technical and financial details. On warranty and life expectancy, Harmon said he would provide warranty documentation but estimated the new central-plant system should last about 20 years. The district also intends to schedule annual preventive maintenance by a third-party contractor; Harmon said the district's in-house technicians are not certified to service central plants, so contracted maintenance is standard practice.

The board approved the JOC contract by motion and unanimous roll-call vote. The motion description on the record noted the contract is structured similar to a guaranteed-maximum-price arrangement with contingencies to limit cost exposure.

Board materials identify the central-plant replacement as part of a broader campus construction plan. Board members said they expect the project to improve energy efficiency and provide redundancy that should reduce the likelihood of campus-wide heating or cooling outages.

Next steps: Harmon said he will provide warranty documents and any additional technical specs to the board for the record.