At its Nov. 10 meeting, the Garrett County Board of Education awarded a $2,263,000 contract to CMTA to replace the chiller at Friendsville Elementary School, a project paid for entirely by a Maryland Energy Administration grant.
Director of System Operations Robert Witt told the board the school’s chillers are original to the building, dating to about 1976. Parts are no longer made, he said, so staff have been buying used parts from local vendors and on eBay to keep them running, and those parts are getting harder to find.
CMTA’s quote, through the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract, matches the full amount of the grant. According to the project memo, work is scheduled for February through May 2027.
A board member called the words “fully funded” music to the board’s ears, and the Maryland Energy Administration was thanked for its help on several recent school projects, including design expertise to get the most out of state funding. The board approved the contract by voice vote with no opposition.
