Springfield police station to get heating overhaul

Despite a million dollar renovation five years ago, the Springfield Select Board approved spending upwards of $37,000 Monday to overhaul the heating system at the Springfield Police Department.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20121011/NEWS02/710119880

Published October 11, 2012 in the Rutland Herald Springfield police station to get heating overhaul By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Despite a million dollar renovation five years ago, the Springfield Select Board approved spending upwards of $37,000 Monday to overhaul the heating system at the Springfield Police Department. The board voted unanimously to accept the two-part bid from Vermont Mechanical of South Burlington for a total of $34,480, and if there is enough money left over, to also test the building’s air handling system, at a cost not to exceed $4,000. Town Manager Robert Forguites recommended Vermont Mechanical for the project, saying that five firms had worked with the town’s engineer to go over the bids. In all, only two firms submitted bids, Forguites said. One local firm did submit a bid but not in a timely manner, Forguites said, and he had to reject it. Money for boiler replacement was included in the 2011-2012 budget, Forguites said. Police Chief Douglas Johnston said that the boilers routinely and repeatedly clog, despite annual cleaning. The project will also include heating the back room at the police station, which until it was purchased by the town in 2008 was used by a local industrial firm. The back room is used to clean vehicles, the police chief said, and some physical training by the officers. He said the temperature in the back room would be kept between 40 and 50 degrees to keep the pipes in the station from freezing. The boilers also heat the hot water for the station, Forguites said. The police chief said the boilers were between 20 and 25 years old. Select Board member Michael Knoras noted that “major work” had been done on the boilers three years ago, and questioned the need for the expensive project, but he ended up voting for the project. Knoras questioned whether the town was getting financial credit for the scrap iron in the old boilers, and Forguites said he would make sure that was the case. Voters approved a $2.2 million bond issue in November 2006 on a 2-1 margin to purchase the former Lucas Industries building and renovate it to accommodate the police department, which moved in 2008.