AC fixed at Town House — in time for start of autumn
Regularly scheduled meetings have resumed after a broken air conditioning system forced workers to sweat it out or relocate.
A long, hot summer came and went, and regularly scheduled meetings have resumed in the Town House after a broken air conditioning system forced government workers to sweat it out or relocate.
The system broke in late June. After one muggy meeting, the Select Board agreed to decamp to alternative locations. Other boards followed suit while town staff largely stayed behind and made do with portable AC units.
Officials had planned to reopen the Select Board meeting room by the beginning of September. But a new chiller arrived later than expected, and other delays hampered installation.
Crews finally installed the replacement late last month. The fix cost $148,000, according to a report from Town Manager Kerry Lafleur.
Although meetings are resuming, nearby construction is limiting parking at the Town House. Matthew Boiteau, executive assistant to the town manager, acknowledged, “It’s still going to be a little tricky.”
And although the AC is installed, it wasn’t actually operational for Monday’s Select Board meeting thanks to one final delay in “commissioning” the equipment.
Town Manager Kerry Lafleur wrote in a report to the Select Board that the unit was supposed to be commissioned on October 1.
As temperatures hung near 80 degrees outside, she told The Acton Bridge that crews are now set to power up the chiller on Tuesday.
This story has been updated.
