Demopolis BOE to seek new bids on high school HVAC project

After a lengthy discussion, the Demopolis City Schools Board of Education voted Thursday to redirect a renovation project at Demopolis High School.

During a special called meeting of the DCS BOE, the board voted to reject bids for the Demopolis High School 2014 Renovation Project and subsequently direct superintendent Dr. Al Griffin, in concurrence with Alabama Code Title 39-2-6 to continue with the project via a “Force Account.”

The decision to change direction on the project stems from a series of high bids received by DCS that would have boosted the total cost above the $1.9 million budget.

“The bids came in slightly over budget, six to 10 percent over. What caused this was a markup from an out-of-town contractor,” Griffin told the board during the nearly 45-minute discussion. “The markup on the labor was tremendous there.”

Under the new plan, DCS will essentially sub-contract the three phases of the HVAC project as well as a planned fourth segment of work that would create significant energy costs.

Griffin will accept bids from individuals and companies to dig loop fields for the project before taking bids on the equipment itself. Finally, Griffin will be tasked with selecting a company to install the HVAC equipment.

“We’re going to buy the equipment and have it delivered and then we’re going to hire somebody to put it in for us,” Griffin told the board. “We can hire local heating and air vendors here to do the labor. So some of the money will stay local here.”

If all goes according to plan on the project, the fourth phase will come to fruition, allowing for the installation of energy manager lighting systems in the high school that would be complete with motion sensor technology.

“We know we’re going to save $80,000 a year on the utility bill at the high school even without the energy manager,” Griffin said, adding later that the addition of the energy manager along with the new HVAC system could trim the school’s utility bill by approximately 75 percent annually. “I’m hoping to save enough money on this to do the lights. It’s not going to be long to make your money back there,” Griffin said.

During the initiative, Demopolis City Schools maintenance supervisor Roger Locke will serve as the de facto contractor for the project.

“We’re very fortunate that our maintenance director, Roger Locke, has a contractor’s license,” Griffin said.

The project is drawing its funding from a Qualified Zone Academy Bond that the school system has been working on for nearly two years. Griffin and the board are hopeful to complete the effort by Dec. 31.

“Our projected finish date of July 31 is now we’re hoping by the end of the calendar year,” Griffin said.

The current HVAC units at Demopolis High School have been in place since the building’s construction in 1993.