UPDATED: Residents Vote On Geothermal HVAC Replacement of Hicks on Tuesday

On Tuesday, Feb. 15, Tolland residents will have the opportunity to vote on a referendum regarding a replacement of the outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioner system (HVAC) currently in Hicks Memorial Municipal Center.

The ballot question posed to residents will be: Shall the Town of Tolland appropriate $3,600,000 for the installation of a Geothermal HVAC System in the Hicks Memorial Municipal Center and Library and authorize the issue of bonds and notes in the same amount to finance said appropriation?

Town Manager Steven R. Werbner said, “This project will provide funds to replace what engineers and citizens committees have found to be a failing system.”

The HVAC system currently in place at Hicks has sustained multiple failures, requiring more than $130,000 in replacements and labor costs in the last three years, according to the town's web site.

Town Council Vice Chair MaryAnn Tuttle said that the Tolland Energy Task Force (TETF) has worked for several years researching the alternatives for the current system that “consultants told us in 2007 was failing and has been costing thousands to repair piecemeal over these past three years.”

The task force has recommended a geothermal HVAC system, arguing that it will provide more efficient heating and cooling than traditional oil-fired HVAC systems, as well as lower operating and maintenance costs of the building.

According to TETF member Josh Freeman, most of the current HVAC system components are at or over their 25-year-old shelf life. Some of the parts are no longer available for purchase and have to be made. “Expensive components are reaching the point to where they can no longer be repaired,” he said.

Every mechanical device has a life span, said Freeman. Most components in oil-based systems have a 25-year life span. “Geothermal wells, which would replace the boilers, will last 50 years,” he said.

The Hicks Memorial Municipal Center was originally constructed in 1908 as the Ratcliffe Hicks Memorial Center. It has served as the town hall and library since 1984.

Freeman spoke to the many purposes Hicks serves for the town, where many town meetings, preschool programs and recreation classes are held. It also holds sentimental value for residents at the center of town, overlooking so many community events on the Green.

“There’s no reason [Hicks is] not going to be here another 100 years,” he said. “If we do this heating system, maybe we only have to do one more replacement in that time.”

According to the task force, the geothermal system will eliminate the need for purchasing oil for the six-level town hall, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With the price of oil once again approaching all-time highs and supplies dwindling, Freeman said that going with a system that does not rely on oil and that is comprised of components with a longer shelf life “makes financial sense. It’s the best return for our investment.”

The projected cost of the geothermal renovation is $3.6 million. It is $300,000 more in upfront costs than a conventional HVAC replacement system, according to Summers. However, the Town expects to save a great deal in energy expenses.

“While the cost is expensive, the need is great,” said Werbner. “There are currently to offset upwards of 70 percent of the interest costs associated with financing the project.”

The Town announced on Jan. 20 that it had qualified for Qualifying Energy Conservation Bonds through the Connecticut Development Authority (CDA), which would be eligible for use on the project. 

“The allocation of the 'Qualified Energy Conservation Bond Volume Cap' is estimated to save between $500,000 and $900,000 in interest and would effectively cost the town less for a geothermal system than a new oil system,” Summers said.

A geothermal system is projected to reduce the operational cost of the system enough to qualify for the grant, which requires projects that reduce energy by 20 percent, Summers said.

“If we replace the current system with an oil-based system, it won’t make enough energy savings to get access to this money,” said Freeman. “With the CDA allocation funding, it makes geothermal system cheaper from day one.”

Freeman said that timing is crucial in replacing the HVAC system at Hicks. Access to the CDA funds and geothermal tax credits are only available for a certain period of time, he said. “Once that pool of money is used, it’s gone.”

Tolland resident and business owner Peter Glyman was less certain about the need for a geothermal HVAC replacement. "A $3.6 million investment in an old building that should probably be renovated in its entirety or its offices should be moved?" he said. "Not sold."

While a fan of green living and alternative energy models, Glyman thinks a geothermal HVAC system has to make financial sense for the town.  "So far...I have to think we have better things to invest in," he said. "Education comes to mind."

For Council Chair Frederick Daniels, this referendum is an opportunity that the Town of Tolland can’t afford to miss. “It isn't a question of whether the town can afford the project,” he said. “It is a fact that the town can't afford not doing the project.”

The polling places in town, at the Hicks Memorial Municipal Center gym and the Tolland Senior Center, will be open for residents to vote on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more specifics on where to vote, visit http://www.tollandelections.org/

More detailed information about the proposed HVAC Geothermal project can be found on the town web site.