When a routine inspection uncovered a crack and several holes in the heat exchanger of the large HVAC system on the roof of the Rockmosa Community Centre, Robin Milne had to approve a new unit immediately.
Milne, Guelph-Eramosa Township’s Director of Parks and Recreation, told council last week that he had to make an emergency decision on Nov. 16 to ensure the building had heat for a wedding reception that was scheduled five days later.
Originally the idea was to replace the heat exchanger, at a cost of $4,500.
But after discussing with a contractor the age and life expectancy of the unit, as well as potential problems that could arise, Milne decided – after receiving approval from Chief Administrative Officer Janice Sheppard – to proceed with the purchase of a brand new unit.
The price, including removal of the old unit, crane work and installation, was $18,000.
After consulting with finance manager Linda Cheyne, staff decided the new unit would be charged to the Rockmosa building repairs and maintenance account, which resulted in a line item overrun of about $15,000.
Milne told council last week the unit failure likely resulted from the age of the unit as well as the fact it worked very hard to make up for less than ideal insulation in the building’s roof.
Council unanimously approved Milne’s report for information.
