Costs for the basic work needed to finish Harrisburg
School District's energy-efficiency project range from $4.3 million to $5.3
million, under proposals submitted by three contractors vying for the job.
Expand the plans with additional improvements to HVAC and
lighting systems, and costs could reach $8.4 million. The three contractors
seeking the job presented their proposals to the Harrisburg School Board's
Budget, Finance, and Facilities Committee Monday night.
The district is making energy-efficiency improvements meant
to pay for themselves in savings, under the state Guaranteed Energy Savings
Act. In the first, $1.7 million phase, contractor Siemens made initial upgrades
and audited district air and lighting systems.
But the district opened
phase two to competitive bidders in the wake of Siemens' acknowledged misstatements
about school-building air quality, and the absence of minority- and
women-owned businesses as subcontractors in phase one.
The district will self-finance phase two with about $5
million earmarked from general funds, said Chief Recovery Officer Gene Veno.
On Monday, the three contractors presented phase-two
proposals, in basic and souped-up alternate versions, that promised higher
savings than costs over 15 years.
The school district's project consultant, Phillip H.
Mowry, calculated costs and savings for each scenario that differed somewhat
from the contractors' projections:
Johnson Controls, the Milwaukee-based global giant with a
Harrisburg office, $4.95 million in costs to save $5.8 million for the basic
plan, and $5.9 million to save $5.6 million in its alternate plan.
McClure Co., a PPL Energy Services subsidiary based in
Harrisburg, $4.3 million in costs to save $3.8 million for the basic plan, and
up to $8.4 million to save $4.5 million to $6 million under three alternate
plans.
CM3 Building Solutions, Fort Washington, $5.3 million in
costs to save $5.9 million for the basic plan, and $7.5 million to save $9
million in its alternate plan.
Savings could also be affected by PPL energy-efficiency
rebates, Mowry said.
Basic tasks include upgrading interior and exterior
lighting, installing motion sensor lighting, replacing chillers in some
buildings, and updating balky controls that have led to complaints of excessive
heat and cold in some buildings.
All bidders said they would meet the project's goal of
hiring 20 percent minority- and women-owned business enterprises, or MWBEs.
Johnson Controls and McClure Co. pointed to previous projects with strong MWBE
participation. CM3 doesn't have local contacts among minority- and women-owned
businesses but would reach out to the state and local organizations for leads,
said Vice President John Hollister.
Committee Chairman James Thompson said he heard "a
lot of warm and fuzzy stuff but not too many details" on the bidders' MWBE
hiring plans. The committee has also heard from three diversity hiring
consultants -- Levy & Levy, Bethlehem; Contracting Consulting Services,
Harrisburg; and Pro Rank Business Solutions, Wilmington -- hoping to be tapped
to work
with the winning contractor on MWBE outreach and hiring.
The BFF Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. April 28 to
continue reviewing the phase-two bids. Board President Jennifer Smallwood said
she could call a special board meeting to choose a contractor in time for work
to start during the summer break.
Source: Central
Penn Business
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