April 23, 2009

City Hall to get new, efficient heating system by winter

The city plans to remove the boiler that blew up last month – as well as its aging twin – and to replace them with a high-efficiency burner that should cost considerably less to operate.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said Thursday that natural gas would fuel the new burner rather than heating oil.
Officials plan to hire a design engineer in May and to bid out the project in July, with the goal of having the new heating system in place before winter.
Just in case, though, part of the deal will be to work out an alternative source of heat if the new system isn’t quite ready, Veselka said.
Mayor Art Ward said the city will be better off with a heating system that won’t break down and burns more efficiently. He said it’s possible that federal stimulus money may be available to pay for some of it.
Though officials have long eyed the possibility of replacing the aging boilers, they had put it off because of the expense.
But on March 20, one of the two heating boilers blew up, sending smoke and asbestos fibers through the ducts and knocking the door off the ground floor mechanical room.
City Hall itself had to be closed for a day, but since it happened over a weekend, it didn’t matter much.
The mechanical room remains sealed off as contractors continue to remove the asbestos.
Veselka said a request for engineering services has been published and a contract may be approved as soon as May’s City Council session.
The Building Committee plans to meet at 5 p.m., Monday, May 11 to endorse a contractor to the council the following day.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Other than Stimulus, how else would this be paid for?
Since we know it will happen, will it be in the upcoming budget? Or will Ward put off puttingthe money aside until after the election?

Ward should take his magic act on the road!

Anonymous said...

I'm praying there is a logical reason why a design engineer has to be hired? This may result in not having a system in place prior to the next heating system as well as additional costs to the taxpayers.
Does anyone knowo why?
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

City Hall needs a new City Hall....it doesn't need a new heating system

Odin said...

They need to hire an engineer to write the specs for a boiler that "fits" (not physically) the needs and quirks of this large, 40 year old building, and then oversee its installation. This isn't like a hot water heater you pick up at Home Depot as a weekend project.

proof said...

7:27 - you should read the proposal rather than proving that you can't.

Anonymous said...

11:28

What did it say?

Your crazy 8 ball's cracked said...

7:27,

Hahahaha...just love the way you conjure up stuff to complain about. Maybe you should consider taking your little whine & cheese party on the road!!! ;0)

Anonymous said...

GO TO YALE AND SEE HOW THEY COPE WITH 200YR BUILDINGS. ITS BECAUSE THEY EMPLOY PEOPLE THAT CAN DO THE JOB .NOT A MILITARY MAN WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT HES DOING. HE IS THE BIGGEST WASTE AT CITY HALL AND SECOND IS HIS ASST.

Anonymous said...

Where is the TRANSPARENCY in this administration??

Anonymous said...

10:10

I don't know about this admnistration, but your motivation for complaining so much is pretty transparent!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
City Hall needs a new City Hall....it doesn't need a new heating system

April 23, 2009 9:59 PM

````````````````

ALL new personnel would NOT hurt either .

Odin said...

10:10 a.m. -

The concept of "transparency" assumes some minimal effort by the individual to make himself informed. Did you ask questions and were rebuffed? Did the city have illegal secret meetings? What was not "transparent"?

Anonymous said...

Couldn't we just give everyone space heaters to put under their desks

Anonymous said...

n't the mayor just tell the public what is happening?

It is difficult to question when Ward doesn't even infor the public that the issue will beon the table!

What is he afraid of?

Anonymous said...

Can't we just put Ken Cockayne in the basement and let him blow hot air. Bet he could heat the entire building!

Anonymous said...

We do know that Art attended secret "illegal" meetings on the Mall acquisition, but how would one know of other secret meetings unless someone squealed.

I have asked questions when and if I was aware of the fact that the subject might be under consideration.

Otherwise, it is impossible to attend alll meetings.

Frankly, elected officials have to take the initiative in making their topics public.

Ward doesn't do that!

Anonymous said...

12:40

How does one know of "secret" meetings?

How does one know of issues that will be discussed if the mayor keeps it to himself?

Why can't the mayor just be up front with the people?

What is he hiding?

Anonymous said...

Ward wants to make sure he is warm come this winter. Its all about Wardie Boy.

Historically said...

gop bulls--t, prove your accusations, get people to admit that they are really republicans, get people to step up and put themselves on the firing line as legitimate gop candidates and then fully support them rather than leaving them to the wolves, as has been the history of the bristol gop, otherwise the same "blowing in the wind" ritual will exist.
the LOCAL GOP WILL SUPPORT THEIR PRESENT CITY COUNCILMEMBERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO OTHERWISE THEY ARE IN POLITICAL SIBERIA.

Anonymous said...

"How does one know of "secret" meetings? How does one know of issues that will be discussed if the mayor keeps it to himself?
Why can't the mayor just be up front with the people? What is he hiding?"

How does one not laugh their ass off reading such ridiculous comments! What's he hiding? Could be his amusement over your stupid conspiracy theories!
;0)

Anonymous said...

8:34

I appreciate your honesty in not denying that Ward has taken part in secret and illegal meetings.

The question is, how do we know what he is hiding?

Do you?

Anonymous said...

9:00 - Please refer below for the meaning of the word "theory"...

- contemplation or speculation.
- guess or conjecture.

No need to deny anything because frankly, there's nothing to deny. In your zeal to find something (anything) to complain about, you seem to have skipped the part about getting facts, but that's never stopped you before either so...fantasize away!

Anonymous said...

12:00

You don't seem to understand that one cannot ask about what what one is not made aware of!

Go back to the Mall purchase: Ward was part of that, as were others, but what was the public told until it made the council floor at the last minute, and was probably acted on illegally.

Just one example.

Anonymous said...

3:15 posts = conjecture, innuendo, falsehoods, assumptions.

When you actually have some facts, come back and let us know.

Odin said...

"Go back to the Mall purchase: Ward was part of that, as were others, but what was the public told until it made the council floor at the last minute, and was probably acted on illegally."

Vague accusations with no specifics: the stock-in-trade of the conspiracy theorist. If you think you know something, spit it out, or shut up.

imagine said...

3:15 - you must be cockayne, he is the only jerk who would say that something is illegal, maybe, 5 years after it happened. sounds like when he didn't find fault with the cops 3.5% raise until he imagined that it was 4% - inflated ego, inflated dreams.

Anonymous said...

Since he was part of illegal secret meetings before, why would one not believe that he is still attending secret illegal meetings a mayor?