MCPSS spokesperson does not prove dollar amount to make cooling tower replacements

THEODORE Ala. ( WKRG ) —A Mobile County Public Schools spokesperson has not provided supporting documents to prove an estimate she made on behalf of MCPSS to replace two cooling towers at Theodore High School.

MCPSS spokesperson Rena Philips told WKRG on Monday that it would cost $600,000 to replace two cooling towers that have been down for nearly a year. It’s a number that WKRG went on the record with.

The cooling towers, according to School Board Member Johnny Hatcher, malfunctioned when a fan busted out the top of the tower. Hatcher said the breakdown caused the school to lose A/C for about a week – until a temporary cooling unit arrived.

“I don’t want these children in here, sweating and trying to work in an unfit environment,” Hatcher said. “My children go here. I don’t want my children to be involved in that.”

Hatcher said Philips’s estimate just isn’t accurate. When WKRG asked Hatcher to prove his claim, he sent two vendor quotes within one hour of the request. The first vendor quote, by Delta Cooling Towers Inc., totaled $144,503.

The second vendor quote, by Hydro Technologies, showed that replacing the current towers with what Hatcher said is the same make and model, would cost $256,314.

Both quotes provided by Hatcher were significantly less than Philips’s $600,000 estimate she made on behalf of the school system.

On Monday, WKRG asked Philips to provide any supporting documents to back up her estimate, which she did not do.

“I don’t know why she wouldn’t be able to provide it,” Hatcher said. “I mean, she spoke on it. She should be able to provide it.”

For the past 10 months, Hatcher said the school system has been paying about $15,000 per month for the temporary cooling tower. Hatcher said the temporary tower cost the school system $10,000 to set up and will cost them $10,000 to remove. All of it is funded with taxpayer dollars.

Furthermore, Hatcher said the temporary cooling tower failed on Tuesday. He estimated the repairs to cost somewhere between $10,000 to $15,000.

So far, Hatcher said the school system has spent at least $170,000 on the temporary cooling tower. For that amount, Hatcher said the school system could have replaced the two towers.

“I don’t have to stand by numbers,” Hatcher said. “They’re in black and white.”

Philips said the school system must abide by state bid laws to make the replacements. She was right about that, pursuant to a state law that required “certain expenditures of city and county school boards are subject to competitive bidding. Expenditures for labor, services, or work, and the purchase or lease of materials, supplies, equipment, or other personal property involving $15,000 or more are subject to competitive bidding. [§16-13B-1, et.al.]”

Hatcher said the school system can file an emergency order to get the project done quicker and cheaper with a process called “self-performance.” It would require the school system to act as its own general contractor.

“That would save us every bit of 30%-40% on these projects,” Hatcher said.

According to Hatcher, the school system could file an emergency order because of the hazards students could be exposed to with no A/C in the Summer months. Those in the school don’t just face heat when the cooling towers fail, but with enough time, Hatcher said mold could begin to grow inside the vents.

“So, it does constitute an emergency order,” Hatcher said.

In the meantime, Hatcher said the school does have A/C as long as the temporary cooling tower is functional.

WKRG is willing to publish any supporting documents Philps can provide to back up her $600,000 estimate.

Since Monday, WKRG’s questions regarding that estimate have gone unanswered.

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