City of Yorkville Public Library Physical Facilities Committee met June 28.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
The meeting was called to order at 6:00pm by Committee Chairman Ryan Forristall and roll was called. Roll Call: Ryan Forristall-yes, Darren Crawford-yes, Sue Shimp-yes, Keri Pesola- arr. 6:07pm
Others Present:
Library Director Shelley Augustine, Facilities Manager Steve Raasch
Recognition of Visitors: None
Public Comment: None
New Business:
HVAC - Chiller Discussion
There have been ongoing issues with the chiller and also the cooling unit in the IT closet. It was recently discovered that replacement of achiller gasket is necessary to repair the main unit and Ms. Augustine explained the repair in detail. The labor alone will cost $10,000 and will require removing the fence, using a crane to remove the unit and opening it up. Mr. Raasch said a chiller should last 20 years if maintained and he said $11,000 in repairs was spent over the last 2 years. A new chiller would take at least 8 months to receive, so he recommended going ahead with the repairs for now. He said it would take 5 days for installation and must be done when the chiller is not needed. Mr. Raasch will speak with R.J. O'Neil regarding the repairs.
A new chiller would cost $220,000, not including labor or engineering. If the library replaces the chiller, he recommended speaking with an engineer first to make sure the load is OK and the piping size is right. The engineer can determine the scope of work, do the bid and oversee all aspects of the project. Full sets of mechanical drawings would be helpful. In the proposal, it should be specified that the company who installed the Building Automation System (BAS) must be used since they know the system. If it went out to bid by August, the chiller should arrive in early spring and be installed ideally in April. Mr. Raasch has a list of contractors that would bid on this job and he advised it should be scheduled before work at the schools begin.
Ms. Augustine said the library must determine how to pay for a new chiller. A new unit should be eligible for ComEd incentives, though they are not available until after the project is completed. The engineer could also do that paperwork.
Chairman Forristall asked if the chiller can be functional another 4 years. Mr. Raasch replied that if the gasket repair is the problem, he felt it could last, as long as there is preventive maintenance. Ms. Augustine said the library has spent $153,000 in HVAC repairs since 2011. Mr. Raasch suggested starting the engineering process now in the event the chiller becomes non-functional and he will provide the name of an engineer. Ms. Augustine said the Plano Library used Kluber Engineering when they replaced 3 units recently. The cost was $4,700 for their engineering service and they took care of the bid process and coordination. Mr. Raasch said Kluber is currently working on the Public Works building and he also noted that for engineering services, a bid process is not needed. The library could choose their own engineer and the engineer must be under contract in some aspect with the city. He will also consult with EEI. When the engineering is done, dates are in place and the engineer should be able to give a cost estimate for the entire process. Mr. Raasch has a document that he uses in Oswego to engage engineering services and he added that an email to the engineer asking for the scope of work and estimated cost would also suffice, with no formal RFP needed. Chairman Forristall said the library should move forward with an email and obtain an estimate.
Mr. Raasch discussed coolants and said that flushing the lines would be needed since different coolants cannot be mixed. He said the coolant in the server room is now obsolete, but can still be obtained, though at a much higher price. He said the server room units (the condensing unit and room unit) would have to be replaced at a cost of $6,000. He will ask Trico for a bid and the library should ask R.J. O'Neil for a bid. Chairman Forristall said the library should go ahead with the server room cooler replacement.
Mr. Forristall said the library is paying down the bonds and getting ready to start budgeting for equipment replacement. He said the IT room should be done next year and he hopes the library can get another year from the chiller. Mr. Raasch will review copies of repair invoices to determine the kinds of repairs made. He will also forward a spreadsheet template he uses to schedule work orders and also to list assets/equipment so the Committee can begin a capital projects spreadsheet.
Landscaping Lights & Building Lights
The outside landscaping lights have stayed on continuously for several months, which Director Augustine has already addressed with the Board. A resident recently complained about taxpayer money being wasted with these lights. A different photocell could be put into the unit, however, it is not known how it would react. Mr. Raasch said the parts cannot be obtained unless a maintenance agreement is signed. If the library did enter into the agreement and the company could not fix the lights, they would then require an upgrade, therefore adding to the cost.
Mr. Raasch also recommended a lighting upgrade very soon. He said the library should be re-done each 3 years and this should be budgeted now. Ms. Augustine noted that a company named Verde had done an assessment a couple years ago regarding the upgrade of all lighting with LED which lasts about 5 years. Mr. Raasch said Verde does all the ComEd paperwork and they do a very good job. The LED plus the ComEd incentives lower the bill considerably. Even though the library does not pay for their electricity, it is paid by the taxpayers. The savings goes back to ComEd's grid. If LED lighting is used, 20-25% or more energy savings are realized. He said in Oswego, the LED streetlights use 50% less energy. The Verde system was estimated to be a cost of $38,000 and with incentives, that would reduce that cost to $20-$25,000. He said LED's are hard to get at this time so the library should wait to do this program. The incentives may not be available right at this time and will be known in October. After next year, the incentives are finished unless the state forces the extension of the program. Ms. Augustine asked if the LED program needs to be in place before solar panels are done.
Sealcoating/striping of the parking lot was also discussed. Ms. Augustine said Public Works was waiting on new equipment to do the lot. The striping needs 2 coats and the lot would be unusable for 1-2 days. Mr. Raasch suggested scheduling it along with any other parking lots that might be re-done, though he did not think any other lots were slated for this year. Chairman Forristall noted that the library has been waiting for a few years to have the lot re-done and Mr. Raasch said they should be done every 3 years. Ms. Pesola asked when the lot was last re-surfaced and striped, which was about 3-5 years ago. Ms. Augustine will email Mr. Dhuse for a timeline. The Director noted the parking lot and chiller costs come from the same budget item. The cost is about $20,000 for resurfacing and striping. To cut costs, the library could just fill the cracks and stripe only. Mr. Crawford asked if the library could just hire it done or split the cost with the city. He believes the city took care of the maintenance/cost of doing it last time. Ms. Augustine will contact Mr. Dhuse to find out who did it before, when it was done, and the cost. Mr. Raasch suggested that if the schools are doing any parking lot, the library could piggyback off that--he believes there is a clause that allows the city to do so.
Solar Panels
Mr. Crawford said he recently saw raised solar panels in a parking lot in Ohio. Mr. Raasch said the city is looking at a similar setup for the new city hall and there will also be panels in the field to the west of the city hall. He said normally the panels are on 10-foot poles, but 12-foot poles are needed to accommodate snow plows. Director Augustine asked if the panels could be on the roof--both placements can be done. Responding to Ms. Pesola's inquiry about parking spots, he said some spaces will be lost. A fence is also required around solar panel arrays. Mr. Crawford prefers the field option more than the roof, but he said a load calculation would be needed for roof panels. Depending on the roof's age and condition, it may be replaced prior to panel installation. A roofing contractor has already looked at the library roof, said Mr. Raasch and in addition to the library, 5-6 other city buildings are still being considered for solar panels.
Executive Session: None
Adjournment:
There was no further business and the meeting was adjourned at 6:49 pm on a motion and second by Mr. Forristall and Mr. Crawford, respectively.
https://www.yorkville.il.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4677
Alerts Sign-up