Cool air plan fails at Wallingford Town Hall
Toolbox
By SANDI SWITZER HERALD CORRESPONDENT - Published: April 22, 2009
WALLINGFORD – Cooler heads did not prevail during a discussion about the installation of air conditioning on the upper floor of the historic Town Hall.
The Wallingford Select Board was divided at a meeting on Monday regarding whether upgrades to the building's second-floor heating system should include air conditioning.
Two members, Select Board Chairman William Brooks and Selectman Charles Angel, voted in favor of the plan, while two others, Selectman Joshua Gilman and Selectwoman Joan Crowley, voted to oppose it.
A fifth member, Selectman Frank Bruce, had expressed support for the measure at the outset of the meeting, but was not present at the time of the vote.
The town received bids from four contractors to upgrade the second-floor heating system and additional costs for air conditioning.
GSK Climate Control Inc., based in Manchester, was the low bidder at $45,420 for the combination of heating and air-conditioning systems.
The company had estimated $35,800 for the heating system and an added $9,620 for air conditioning. The price was $6,580 less than the next lowest bidder.
The town's building committee told board members the project's engineer firm, Rutland-based Lane Associates, had recommended the work be awarded to GSK Climate Control.
"I recommend it and the engineer recommends it. I think it's a good deal," committee member Ralph Nimtz said.
Nimtz noted the historical society had agreed to fund a sizable portion of the project and income from the cell tower in the building's clock tower would offset most of the costs.
Historical Society president Christine Bannerman reminded board members the $40,000 offered by the group for the project was for heat and air conditioning.
Bannerman cautioned the $40,000 could be reduced if air conditioning was not part of the project.
The historical society uses the upper floor for meetings, gatherings and to display its vast collection.
Two board members expressed their support for heating and cooling systems.
"I don't believe we'll ever get a price like this again," Bruce said.
"If we could cool it up there, we'd get a little more use out of it," added Angel. He said more use could result in additional income from local groups renting the space.
However, two others, Gilman and Crowley, expressed concern that other maintenance issues such as chimney repairs and insulation should be a priority.
"I'm opposed to it because we have other building needs," Crowley said.
When the matter was called to a vote later in the meeting, Brooks and Angel supported awarding the full $45,420 project to GSK Climate Control.
Crowley and Gilman opposed it.
Bruce, by that time, had left the meeting for a prior engagement. Failure to achieve a majority of votes defeated the measure.
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