(American Press Archives)

The decision on the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) contract for the west side of the Calcasieu Parish school district has been halted a second time.

A heated discussion about splitting HVAC contracts between two companies – one for the west side and one for the east side of the parish – that began in June was carried into the July Calcasieu Parish School Board meeting on Tuesday.

The board was divided on the decision to move forward with splitting the district by maintaining Johnson Controls (JCI) services on the east side of the parish and granting a contract to a different company on the west side of the parish. The other three companies considered were Bernhard, Corporate Mechanical Contractors (CMC) and STAR.

CPSB completed a request for proposals for HVAC services to begin on Nov. 1, 2025. The district’s intention to complete the RFP was voiced at the October 2024 regular meeting, following a request from the long-range planning committee. At the same meeting, CPSB recommended that the board extend the contract with JCI for one year while the RFP was created by CSRS, a consulting firm.

In June, the board was presented with the RFP and staff recommendations. After about two hours of discussion, the board voted to award the east side to JCI. The decision on the west side was delayed until July, so that staff could present more detailed recommendations.

Board members were concerned about several things, including the higher cost of services for companies other than JCI, the number of available HVAC technicians, and the way distance would affect the quality of service.

RFP interviews were held by CPSB staff in June. Superintendent Jason VanMetre said at the July meeting that staff found that since all companies could provide quality services, “staff felt that price was a deciding factor and recommended Lafayette-based Bernhard.

Bernhard’s base annual cost of service is approximately $2.5 million, plus $433,628 for the cost of controls, totalling just over $3 million.

STAR’s base cost is $3.4 million, plus $377,160 for the cost of controls, totalling $3.8 million. CMC’s base cost of service would have been $4.2 million, plus $3.3 million for controls cost, totaling $7.6 million.

Bernhard and CMC would provide eight to 10 employees. STAR would provide 12 to 15.

The proposals also include potential additional costs to convert CPSB’s HVAC controls to a graphical user interface (GUI), which would modernize the district’s systems. In the STAR contract, GUI conversion is required.

At the start of the discussion, board member Tony O’Banion, District 10, suggested that the board actually grant the west side contract to JCI and dedicate $1 million annually to replace equipment throughout the district. He stated that while CPSB has had issues with JCI’s services over the years, the service has improved since the district put millions into HVAC infrastructure.

“For years, we have chosen to cut the budget, and there were probably valid reasons at the time. We probably needed to cut,” he said. “But we cut to the point where they couldn’t perform. Once we increased it … they’ve done better. They’ve done preventative maintenance.”

JCI’s proposal for the west side includes 17 employees in the service area for a total cost of $2.4 million, with an optional first-year cost to convert to GUI controls.

Board member Dean Roberts, District 6, suggested the board be willing to spend more money for better service, as “Johnson Controls has not performed. Period.”

“We all debated that and we decided to split it. “Here, we’ve gone through that process. We didn’t do this to find the lowest price, the cheapest price, so we end up in the same boat. … Cheap has not worked.”

After a series of failed motions, the board ultimately decided to table the discussion until August with a vote of 11-4. Board members Russell Castille, District 12; Glenda Gay, District 3; Aaron Natali, District 1; and Roberts voted against the tabling.