Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1956 [PAGE 793]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

790

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[September 23

Alco Products, Inc., and Ingersoll-Rand Co. are the lowest bidders. Erie City Iron Works, Chicago, submitted the lowest bid of $406,350 on the generating unit, but the details of the design of their boiler would require a larger addition to the Power Plant and would result in an additional capital cost of approximately $0,000. In the opinion of our experts, their type of boiler would increase operation and maintenance costs by at least $20,000 during the life of the boiler. Lasker Boiler & Engineering Corporation submitted the second lowest bid of $410,841, but its bid was not based on the specifications, and it is therefore recommended that it be rejected. The bid of Babcock & Wilcox represents the lowest ultimate cost. Funds in the amount of $1,680,000 are available in the state appropriation for 1955-56 "For addition to the heating plant, with fixed equipment installed, including plans and specifications, extension of utilities to the building, and all other necessary costs and charges incident to the completion of the work." I concur and recommend that the Comptroller and the Secretary of the Board be authorized to execute these contracts. President Megran presented a letter he received from the Lasker Boiler and Engineering Corporation requesting that its bid, the second lowest bid, be accepted and stating: "We are able to design, fabricate, finance and erect the boiler and all auxiliary equipment. We are now completing two boilers and auxiliary equipment for the Indiana University at Bloomington, Indiana which is quite comparable to University of Illinois Power Plant. "While we are not the lowest bidder, we believe the business should be kept in the State of Illinois. Seventy per cent of the contract price represents labor and we believe the Trustees should favor the labor in our State." T h e request of Lasker Boiler and Engineering Corporation was duly considered in the light of its representations and the advice received from the University's engineering consultants who have assisted in the design of the Abbott Power Plant addition and equipment. O n motion of M r . Bissell, the bids of the E r i e City Iron Works, Chicago, and of the Lasker Boiler and Engineering Corporation, Chicago, were rejected for the reasons stated in the recommendations of University officers; and O n motion of M r . Bissell, the contracts were awarded as recommended by University officers, and the Comptroller and Secretary of the Board were authorized to execute these contracts.

CHANGES IN CONTRACTS ON THE HOME ECONOMICS BUILDING

(15) The Director of the Physical Plant and the Comptroller recommend increases of $14,320.86 in the contract with F. R. Inskip & Co., Champaign, for ventilating work and of $8,249.16 in the contract with R. Hays Co., Inc., Champaign, for plumbing work for the construction of the Home Economics Building. The principal changes are for increasing the ventilating system in third floor laboratories to withdraw acid-laden and other contaminating fumes to insure an adequate supply of fresh air. The changes also provide for the ventilation of three basement rooms inadvertently omitted in the original plans. The increase in the plumbing contract is to substitute Duriron silicon pipe and fittings in lieu of cast iron in the waste lines serving the nutritional research laboratories to withstand the corrosive acids used there. The proposals have been examined by the architects, Naess and Murphy, and by a mechanical engineer and architects in the Physical Plant Department, and the costs are reasonable. Funds are available in the state appropriation for construction of the Home Economics Building. I concur and recommend that the Comptroller be authorized to execute the contract changes.

On motion of Mrs. Holt, the Comptroller and the Secretary of the Board were authorized to execute these changes in the contracts.