Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works

TO:	David L. Corliss,  Cynthia Boecker, Diane Stoddard, Jonathan Douglas
FROM:	Steve Bennett
CC:	Chuck Soules, Mark Thiel, James Wisdom
Date:	February 2, 2009
RE:	HVAC for the Computer Room in City Hall

Please include the following item on the City Commission consent agenda for consideration at the February 10, 2009 meeting:

Project Description

This project is for climate control for the City’s computer server room.  The server room HVAC system is entirely separate from City Hall’s HVAC system due to the fact the server room requires cooling and humidity control 365 days a year, 24-hours a day.  The server room contains the core network equipment, routers, voice mail system, and mission-critical servers supported by Information Systems and serves as the central network operations center for the City’s network.  The insurance replacement value of the hardware located in the server room alone is $513,671 but it would be extremely difficult to estimate the value of the data stored considering the history and the labor hours represented by the many years it has taken to collect and maintain the data.

The current cooling system began having difficulties in 2006 and was recommended for replacement in 2007 due to operational reliability problems.  During 2008 the air-conditioning system broke down six times during the night or on a weekend and caused personnel to be brought in to shut-down servers and frantically find other methods to cool the room.  When the HVAC equipment doesn’t work properly the temperature in the server room can quickly escalate above 90 degrees, which is very hard on network equipment and servers.  On three occasions the HVAC failures caused hardware failures due to the extreme heat.  The current HVAC equipment is inadequate to meet the reliability needs for the City's server room.

The new unit will be used as the primary source of cooling for the room and the two existing wall units will be used as a secondary source of cooling for backup purposes.  This project also includes all controls that will make the unit accessible on our present digital control system used throughout City Hall. It also includes installation and control programming.

Project History/Status/Schedule.

11/17/08	RFP mailed to vendors and placed on Demand Star
12/05/08	Proposals due. Received two
12/12/08	Reviewed and evaluated the two proposals
12/15/08	Chose P1 Group design for the project
12/17/08	Negotiated proposal with P1 Group
12/23/08	Received RFP quote reflecting negotiations
01/20/09	Staff recommends the P1 Group proposal
02/10/09	City Commission agenda

Estimated Project Cost / Funding

This project will be funded by Buildings and Structures Division Account 001.3400.574.25-36.

Estimated cost of the improvements was $65,000 including design and installation.

Contractor Selection

The City received two proposals for Engineering Design Services and equipment installation for the climate control for the computer room at City Hall.

Proposals received:

P1 Group	$61,370.00
Design Mechanical	$51,185.00

City staff has reviewed each proposal carefully and is recommending P1 Group for this project.

We recommend the P1 Group proposal for the following reasons:

· Designed to be installed in the ceiling to not use floor space

· A controlled distribution of air supply

· Equipment designed for computer and server rooms

· Equipment designed to run continuously, extending the life cycle

· Ties into the existing digital controls for City Hall

· Slightly larger unit, and more energy efficient

· Uses R407C, one of the new “green” refrigerants

The Proposal from Design Mechanical did not meet these criteria.

P1 Group is presently under contract with the City for maintenance of the existing climate control for the server room.

Action Request

Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with P1 Group in the amount of $61,370.00 for the design and installation of the cooling for the computer room.

Respectfully Submitted,

Steve Bennett

Buildings and Structures Manager