Article submitted by Jamie Fleury, The Pilot News Staff Writer
PLYMOUTH — The Plymouth Community School Corporation (PCSC) Board of Directors adopted Project Resolution 2022-2 to move forward with $10.6 M worth of proposed upgrades and renovations including Heating Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) improvements, solar installation and water efficiency upgrades to schools. The projects will improve the long term sustainability of the school and enhance good stewardship of resources.
A Public Project Hearing on the General Obligation (GO) Bond was held on Tuesday; giving the public an opportunity to voice concerns or ask questions. There was no public comment.
Representatives from Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors presented the details of the proposed GO Bond in the amount of $5.6 M with an estimated total interest expense of $320,129.00 There would be no Incremental Tax Rate Impact over 2021. The board adopted Preliminary Bond Resolution 2022-3.
The remaining $1.2 M will come from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Programs Fund and $3.8 million that remained from the 2018 GO Bond. The board adopted Resolution 2022-4 Declaration of Official Intent to Reimburse Expenditures.
PCSC Director of Maintenance Facilities and Operations David M. Schoof detailed the findings of the Plymouth Community Schools 2021 HVAC Study completed by Barton-Coe-Vilamaa. The list of recommendations from that study included projects for Plymouth High School (PHS), Riverside Intermediate School (RIS), Jefferson Elementary School, and Washington Discovery Academy (WDA).
The board adopted the Proposal for Architectural and Engineering Services for multiple buildings from Barton-Coe-Vilamaa.
PCSC Board President Melissa Christiansen said, “Please keep in mind that this is just the first step in the legal process. The board will continue to work with the administration as professionals to look for efficiencies to conserve tax dollars while meeting our educational needs.”
Projects at PHS will include replacement of the large building heating and chilled water circulation pumps, the gym floor will be upgraded along with other potential renovations including replacement of the main gym air handlers and add cooling if desired.
The main office air handler will be replaced along with a section of old sub-main electrical gear by the old pool. The water heater, tank and drains will be replaced along with the plumbing fixtures in the 1961 and 1974 portions of the building. Art room renovations and repairs to the media center skylight will be made.
Repairs and renovations to RIS will include adding a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) to cooling tower pumps, replace plumbing fixtures for 5th and 6th grade, and repair the skylight and gutters. Carpets will be replaced or cleaned by carpet cleaning minneapolis services in portions of the building. People can also check out carpet cleaning pittsburgh for the best carpet cleaning services.
Schoof said that PCSC is one of the largest consumers of water for the City of Plymouth. His goal is to reduce unnecessary water consumption with upgrades. “We need to do a better job of being a good steward of that resource and cut that consumption.”
A new playground and surfacing will be installed at Jefferson Elementary School. Repairs to the gym will include replacement of the gym air handler with the addition of cooling and updated temperature controls in the communication trunk. A new intercom system will be installed. Gravity relief vents will be replaced with powered relief vents.
Renovations to Webster Elementary School include replacement of the existing R-22 condensing units and coils, recontrol of existing pneumatic equipment, and new carpet in the corridors, media center and main office. “We keep up pretty well in the budget with classroom replacements but some of those large areas can get costly so we tried to incorporate that in the project.”
WDA will obtain a new HVAC system through the original portion of the building. That upgrade will include new ceilings and lights to facilitate the HVAC renovation. A second chilled water pumps will be added for redundancy. Upgrades will include the replacement of domestic water lines and restrooms fixtures. WDA will also get new carpet through the original portion of the building and a new intercom. The upgrades will improve air quality and will increase water use efficiency thus saving the corporation money as they move toward energy sustaining renovations.
In addition to those projects, Schoof detailed the solar project at RIS and WDA. “Those account for about 30% of electric for the entire district. They are capable of producing off-grid power, so that was a great opportunity for us.”
Outside of the solar project and the HVAC study priorities, Schoof had also included sidewalk repairs, exterior lighting upgrades, and asphalt replacement at WDA. Some playground equipment would be replaced at Webster Elementary School to include surface upgrades for accessibility to the new unit. Schoof detailed a few other minor external projects to Lincoln Junior High (LJH).
