Subject:
Title
Agreement with Harper Limbach LLC for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and related services.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the agreement with the number one ranked firm Harper Limbach LLC (HLL) for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and related services.
• This agreement provides Construction and Property Management (CPM) with a structured contract for preventive maintenance, condition assessments, service response, repairs, documentation, and reporting for critical County HVAC systems and related equipment.
• The scope includes water-cooled chillers, air-cooled chillers, cooling towers, chilled water pumps, condenser water pumps, and related HVAC assets that support County facility operations.
• Nine firms submitted proposals. Following evaluation, HLL was ranked the highest-ranked firm and is recommended for award.
• CPM and Purchasing negotiated with HLL, reducing the proposed agreement value from $1,111,007.00 to $911,007.00 while preserving a favorable 15% markup on parts and materials, compared to the current contract markup of 35%.
• The initial term of this agreement is thirty-six-months with a not-to-exceed amount of $911,007.00. There is also a provision for two additional 12-month terms beyond the initial thirty-six-month term if agreed upon by the parties.
• Funding for the agreement is included in Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget for CPM within the General Fund. Funding for future years is dependent on approval in the annual County Operating Budget.
Contract No. 26-0009-RFP in the total award amount of $911,007.00 for thirty-six months; Authorize the Chairman to sign and the Clerk of the Circuit Court to attest.
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Strategic Priorities:
Resilient Infrastructure and Environment
1.2 Maintain and enhance County infrastructure.
1.4 Improve environmental quality.
Healthy and Safe Communities
2.1 Improve public health.
Smart Service Delivery
4.1 Optimize County energy use.
4.3 Improve efficiency of service delivery through technology.
4.2 Achieve and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.
Summary:
Summary
This agreement establishes a comprehensive HVAC maintenance and service contract to support critical County facility infrastructure. The agreement provides CPM with a structured service vehicle for preventive maintenance, condition assessments, repair response, corrective maintenance, parts, materials, documentation, and reporting for major HVAC assets, including chillers, cooling towers, pumps, and related equipment.
The agreement supports CPM’s responsibility to maintain a large and operationally complex facility portfolio. CPM supports over 4.5M square feet across more than 160 facilities, including public service areas, employee workspaces, detention-related facilities, and specialized equipment environments. Reliable HVAC performance is essential to continuity of operations, building occupant comfort, and protection of County assets.
The contract improves CPM’s ability to move from a reactive service model toward a more structured preventive maintenance and condition assessment program. The scope includes equipment-specific preventive maintenance requirements, annual condition assessments, useful life information, recommended repairs, corrective actions, risk advisories, and annual reporting. These requirements will improve asset visibility, support earlier identification of repair needs, strengthen vendor accountability, and assist with future operating and capital planning.
The agreement also provides controlled repair-related capacity outside routine preventive maintenance. This capacity allows CPM to respond to repair needs as they arise while using work order review and budget monitoring to manage expenditures within the approved not-to-exceed amount.
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Background Information:
A Request for Proposal was released on March 9, 2026, on behalf of CPM to establish a comprehensive HVAC preventive maintenance, condition assessment, and related services program. The County received nine proposals. Proposals were evaluated by the evaluation committee, and HLL was ranked the highest-ranked firm.
Following evaluation, CPM and Purchasing negotiated with HLL. HLL’s original proposal totaled $1,111,007.00. Through negotiations, HLL agreed to revise its preventive maintenance pricing, therefore reducing the proposed agreement value to $911,007.00, for an overall reduction of $200,000.00.
This negotiated outcome provides value to the County by securing competitive preventive maintenance pricing while maintaining HLL’s favorable 15% markup on parts and materials. The current contract markup is 35%. The lower markup provides stronger pricing controls for repair-related parts and materials that may be needed during the contract term.
The agreement addresses operational risks associated with aging equipment, varying system conditions, inconsistent maintenance documentation, and the need for reliable HVAC service response. It establishes scheduled preventive maintenance, defined response expectations, equipment-specific maintenance requirements, condition assessments, documentation, and reporting. These requirements support service continuity, lifecycle planning, and improved long-term asset management.
Fiscal Impact:
Estimated annual not-to-exceed expenditure: $303,669.00
Total expenditure not-to-exceed amount: $911,007.00
The annual contract capacity consists of $91,169.00 for scheduled preventive maintenance and $212,500.00 for repair response, corrective maintenance, parts, materials, and related HVAC services outside routine preventive maintenance.
The preventive maintenance portion of this agreement has been programmed in CPM’s proposed FY27 operating budget across the Mid County, Northwest, Southeast, and Detention sections. The proposed FY27 budget includes a combined programmed amount of $151,360.00.
The proposed annual preventive maintenance cost of $91,169.00 is within the proposed FY27 programmed budget. The remaining annual repair-related capacity of $212,500.00 does not represent guaranteed spending; it provides authorized capacity to address repair needs if they arise during the contract term.
The demand signal for the repair-related capacity is supported by historical actuals. From FY24 through FY26, CPM incurred $587,870.26 in HVAC-related costs outside preventive maintenance, averaging approximately $195,956.75 annually. The proposed annual repair and service capacity of $212,500.00 is generally aligned with this historical demand and provides capacity for repair response, corrective maintenance, parts, materials, and related HVAC support.
Repair-related expenditures will be managed through available operating funds, work order review, and ongoing budget monitoring. CPM will monitor usage throughout the term to distinguish between scheduled preventive maintenance and repair-related work, ensure expenditures remain within the approved NTE, and support future operating and capital planning.
Funding for the agreement is included in FY26 Operating Budget for Construction and Property Management within the General Fund. A total of $163,410.00 was confirmed by the Office of Management and Budget in the FY26 Adopted Operating Budget specifically for preventative maintenance for chillers. As of June 2026, the proposed FY27 budget includes $151,360.00 for preventative maintenance for chillers. However, CPM also has resources available from the overall repairs and maintenance account to meet the ongoing needs of the contract, therefore a budget amendment is not anticipated. Funding for future years is dependent on approval in the annual County Operating Budget.
Staff Member Responsible:
Bill Greer, Director, Construction and Property Management
Merry Celeste, Purchasing Division Director, Office of Management & Budget
Chris Rose, Director, Office of Management and Budget
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
Agreement
Final Rankings