By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The project to replace the heating plant at the Wood County District Library is back on track.
Smith-Boughan of Lima had the lowest and winning bid of $254,200. That’s $41,000 lower than the estimated project cost.
The library board of trustees accepted the bids at their Monday meeting.
“They’re already engaged with you doing the maintenance work and monitoring your system,” said Scott Schroeder, project manager from Kleinfelder. “It’s a great combination to have for this project.”
This is the second round of bidding for the project. After the board awarded the bid to Earl Mechanical in January, the county prosecutor, who serves as the library’s legal counsel, determined that there was material needed to complete the job that was not properly accounted for in the bid documents.
Schroeder said he was surprised that the second round of bidding still attracted six bidders. Smith-Boughan was the lowest by about $22,000, said Andrew Tuttle, the project engineer for Kleinfelder.
The highest bid was just over $358,646, said library Director Michael Penrod.
Smith-Boughan’s bid came in $18,000 lower than their bid in the first round, Schroeder noted. “They sharpened their pencils considerably.”
Kleinfelder suggested putting in three smaller boilers, instead to two. “We switched it to three smaller boiler for ease of installation,” Tuttle said as well as “to get better modulation.”
The smaller boilers can be hauled up the stairs. That trims the cost because a crane will not be necessary.
Penrod said that’s the benefit of the library’s long-standing work with the engineering firm, formerly Poggemeyer Design Group.
The library will remain open throughout the work which will begin late summer. Schroeder said the date for “substantial completion” of the work is Sept. 27 with a final date for completion of Nov. 1.
All the equipment needed is in stock. The building pumps must be ordered but the system can run without them, Tuttle said.
“Those are not necessary to get your system up and running,” Schroeder said. If the pumps don;t arrive, “it will not be an issue to your operations.”
There is another boiler in the other side of the building so there would always be partial heat if needed, Penrod said.
Trustee Ellen Dalton asked how long the boilers would last.
Tuttle said the typical life expectancy is 25 years but with proper care equipment can last longer. “It all comes down to maintenance protocol,” Tuttle said. “From what I’ve seen, you have a fairly robust maintenance protocol and everything up there is in decent working order. They’re just pretty old.”
Dalton said trustees were having the job done now rather than risk the system failing.
Also, Penrod talked about what he took away from attending the American Library Association’s annual conference in San Diego.
He said he spent much of his time at sessions discussing foundations and fundraising as well as panels discussing use of artificial intelligence.
Speakers, he said, promoted using AI for tasks such as scheduling. One replaced its public relations manager with AI to produces publicity material.
Penrod said as long as he is library director the library will not replace people with AI.
He said, after apologizing to trustees Greg Esposito, president of InTech IT Solutions, that AI systems have a way of starting to make their own decisions.
Also, attending the conference, were Youth Services Coordinator Maria Simon and Information Services Coordinator Kristin Wetzel.
Simon told Penrod that the library’s proximity to and collaboration with the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum, the world’s largest collection of original artwork by children’s book illustrators, helps to attract visiting artists.
An example was the visit on Sunday by Micha Archer, winner of the Caldecott Medal, the most prestigious award in children book illustration.
Mazza sent staff from their gift shop to sell books for the signing, though there are a number of books purchased by a benefactor that were given out for free.
Penrod said Archer was excited to visit Mazza after her appearance at the Bowling Green library.
