Arlington Finance Committee Defers Hardy School HVAC Vote, Sends Cost Dispute to Subcommittee

ARLINGTON -- March 25, 2026, Arlington Finance Committee delays Hardy Elementary HVAC feasibility vote over disputed cost estimates. The committee voted unanimously at its March 25 meeting to refer Article 67, a $375,000 warrant article for a Hardy Elementary School heating system feasibility study, to a three-member subcommittee after Finance Committee member Charlie presented invoice and vendor data suggesting rooftop unit costs of $25,000 to $60,000 each, sharply at odds with the Capital Planning Committee's figures of $200,000 to $300,000 per unit derived from recent bid records. Capital Planning representative Julie cited a 2024 Brackett School rooftop unit replacement where the winning bid was $274,000 and the unit itself invoiced at $125,000. The MSBA has accepted Hardy into its FY26 electrification program and offered roughly 44 percent reimbursement, but a July 1 deadline means a delay could cost Arlington an estimated $4 million or more in state construction funding. The subcommittee, members Alan, Annie, and Charlie, will review actual bid records with town staff and report back Monday, March 30. The committee also approved the FY27 group health insurance budget at $28,123,942 and the liability insurance budget at $817,877 unanimously.