Item No. 9.
TO:HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
BY:MATTHEW BAUMGARDNER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS/CITY ENGINEER DATE:JUNE 23, 2026
SUBJECT:APPROVAL OF EMERGENCY HVAC REPAIRS AT THE DOWNEY THEATRE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council will consider ratifying the City Manager's approval of the emergency repair of the Downey Theater ’s HVAC Thermo Cor compressor pumps by Air Treatment Corporation (ATC) and the signing of the purchase order for the emergency repairs. The repairs were completed by ATC on June 12, 2026.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council:
1. Ratify the City Manager's authorization of the emergency repair work for the HVAC Thermo Cor compressor pumps completed by ATC; and,
2. Authorize the City Manager to sign the purchase order for emergency repair work done by ATC at the Theater in the amount of $144,212.
BACKGROUND
On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Downey Theater experienced an unexpected HVAC breakdown and the system was unable to cool the facility. Public Works Maintenance staff responded to investigate the cause of the breakdown. Eventually staff was able to determine that the both Thermo Cor compressors had failed.
Upon further investigation, ATC, found that both Thermo Cor compressors could no longer be balanced and were deemed inoperable. As such, both would need to be replaced and reprogrammed. With both compressors out of commission, the inside of the Theater became uncomfortably warm. As a result, the City Manager authorized, under the City's emergency purchasing provision, the immediate emergency repair of the system.
Since this is the start of the busy season for the Theater, and in order to maintain the facility at a comfortable temperature during the various events, staff rented a portable chiller unit while repairs were done.
ANALYSIS
The HVAC system at the Theater is an energy efficient system manufactured by Multi Stack. It is a proprietary system and ATC is the only authorized contractor that can install and balance the Mag Lev system.
Since the Theater has several events scheduled, there was an urgent need to have the both compressors replaced to properly cool the facility for events to maintain a comfortable environment for the patrons. The City’s Purchasing Policy under Emergency Purchases allows the City Manager to authorize addressing the urgent nature of the emergency and report back to the City Council at the next available City Council meeting for retroactive ratification of the City Manager's authorization of the repair.
ATC completed repairs of the system during the week of June 1st and continued balancing and adjustment of the system through Friday, June 12, 2026. The chiller rental was ended on June 8, 2026. The building has remained comfortable and cool since June 3, 2026.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Quality of Life, Safety & Infrastructure
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an expenditure of $144,212, which is included in the Fiscal Year 2025–2026 CIP Budget under Account No. 40‑1‑3304.