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.