New HVAC system clears another hurdle

GREENWICH — With approval of the Board of Estimate and Taxation in hand, the spending for a new HVAC at the Cos Cob School now only needs a final go-ahead from the Representative Town Meeting.

The BET unanimously approved the $1.477 million expenditure Thursday night. But the vote was narrow on how to pay for it, as the BET — in a 7-5 vote — approved a bonding resolution for the project.

Board members who opposed bonding said the money could have come from the town capital nonrecurring account instead of borrowing it. BET member Debra Hess said the BET should should not generally finance projects between the yearly bonding resolutions that are done annually with every municipal budget, especially for small projects like the HVAC system.

“Generally speaking, there are times when we should consider potentially doing financing during the year, depending on the magnitude of it, but I would think given the size of this that it’s material enough to approve it,” Hess said.

The project will not be bonded until January 2022 even though the work will begin sooner.

BET member Leslie Moriarty noted that the budget guidelines for the 2021-22 budget call for using $3 million in town funds to lessen the increase in the mill rate. Taking that out of the BET’s capital nonrecurring fund would leave only $5.9 million — and taking the $1.477 million for the project would further deplete it, she said.

“I think this board is going to be in a better position to understand what level we need to keep in that capital nonrecurring fund when we look at both the capital and financing requirements that are coming forward to us in a month,” Moriarty said. “I think we have much more ability to make changes to that level if we bond this project now. We can always choose to bond fewer projects in the budget if we want to use more of our capital fund balance.”

First Selectman Fred Camillo will introduce the proposed 2021

22 municipal budget, including the capital projects, in late January.

The BET did not debate the merits of the HVAC system and gave the project its full support.

The RTM must approve the spending and the bonding resolution. The issue will likely be placed on the call for the RTM’s meeting on Jan. 21.

Board of Education members did not appear at the BET meeting, but they spoke with the BET’s Budget Committee this week and called for a quick decision on the project. They cite the age and unreliability of the 25-year-old HVAC system at Cos Cob School as well as the expense of the repairs.

Sean O’Keefe, the school district’s chief operating officer, told the committee Tuesday it was a “failing system” and the school

needed to expedite its replacement. The district decided to act now on the request instead of leaving it in the school budget for the new year, which had been the original plan.

“We talked to our on-call HVAC contractor and the conclusion was we should replace it as soon as possible,” O’Keefe said.

If the district had waited for the 2021-22 municipal budget, the money would not have been available until July 1.

Now, if the RTM approves the expense, the work can take place over the summer.

School district Director of Facilities Dan Watson told the Budget Committee it would be better to do the work when school is not in session. Under the current plan, work could be done before the start of the new school year in the fall.