Putnam Moving To Bid Stage On Three Biggest Capital Projects Of Year

Putnam County Schools beginning the bid process over the next couple of weeks on the largest capital projects on the school year agenda.

The school system plans on replacing chillers in both the White Plains and Cookeville High School air conditioning systems. Deputy Director Tim Martin said the White Plains chiller was scheduled to be replaced next year, but the maintenance team does not think it will last that long.

“I know some people are going to say, ‘hey its a chiller and summer time is almost over,'” Martin said. “But it’ll probably take us until spring time to get it replaced by the time we bid and get the parts and everything in.”

Bids will also be accepted this fall on new bleachers for the Upperman High School Football stadium. Martin said he is still working with the administration at Upperman on exactly what they want for their new bleachers, but he hopes to have them in by next football season.

“It’s a packed house,” Martin said. “It is a packed house, yes. Almost every home game they have is standing room only.”

Martin said the system will collect bid on all three projects, then submit those to the School Board. The three projects will be considered based on funds set aside in the budget.

“I can just tell you, I wish I could have them in there tomorrow,” Martin said. “But we know that’s not going to happen. I won’t have a realistic time table for you until we can issue the bids and then see what the contractors have to say.”

Martin said chillers typically cost between $200,000 to $250,000. A chiller is part of an air conditioning system that chills water. The water is then pumped to individual units in rooms to produce cold air.