Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Parks and Recreation Department

TO:	Dave Corliss, City Manager Cynthia Boecker, Assistant City Manager
FROM:	Mark Hecker, Park Superintendent
CC:	Ernie Shaw, Interim Director
Date:	April 8, 2008
RE:	Agenda Item – HVAC Unit East Lawrence Recreation Center

Please include the following item on the City Commission consent agenda for consideration at the April 15th, 2008 meeting:

Set a bid opening date of April 29, 2008, for the replacement of the HVAC unit for the main gym at East Lawrence Center

• Project/Item Description. Replacement of the main heating and cooling unit for the large gym at East Lawrence Center.

• Project Description/History. The largest HVAC unit at East Lawrence Center has had a long history of mechanical problems ranging from control and electrical system failures to compressor failures. At construction, this unit and the electrical system that feeds it, were sized to minimum specification for this type of facility. This under sizing and the poor quality of the equipment has caused the system to fail nearly every time the outside temperatures get near 95 degrees. These failures have caused a number of operational problems due to the very heavy recreation program schedule in this facility.

• Project/Item Funding. The estimated $195,000 project will be funded using the sales tax reserve funds. This is a traditional funding source for Parks & Recreation improvements and maintenance. It should be noted that East Lawrence Center HVAC project will take approximately half of sales tax funds allotted to parks & recreation for the 2008 budget year ($400,000 total).

• Action Request. The Parks & Recreation Department requests approval from the City Commission to set April 29, 2008 as the bid date for the East Lawrence Center HVAC project.