New rooftop HVAC unit approved for court

By Lisa Brody

An over 20-year-old HVAC rooftop unit will be replaced at the 48th District Court after Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved the purchase and installation at their meeting on Monday, July 11.

Township Director of Public Works Noah Mehalski explained that the township's relationship with the 48th District Court, which is located in Bloomfield Township, is “we are the landlord, they are the tenant. We have the responsibility for replacement and they have the responsibility for all maintenance.”

Mehalski said a twin HVAC unit was installed on the roof of the court in 2001, and a typical lifespan is 15 years. He said the department has been planning for its replacement, and it has been delayed for the last couple of years as the court was completely closed for two years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the unit has been increasingly needing costly repairs.

Mehalski said staff prepared the plans and specifications for bidding and the project was advertised on the Michigan Intergovernmental Trade Network. The proposed project will include the removal and replacement of one 20-ton rooftop unit. The bulk of the work, which involves using a large crane for removing the old unit and setting the new unit, will be done on a Saturday to ensure the safety of court employees.

The township, he said, received three bids, with the contractor who has been dong the maintenance, Guardian Environmental Services, underbidding other contractors by over $20,000.

The total for a new unit and installation, for $107,441, was approved 6-0, with clerk Martin Brook absent.