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The Windsor Town Council voted Feb. 7 to authorize Town Manager William Saunders to extend the town’s contract with Comfort Systems of Virginia Inc. for HVAC maintenance at the Windsor Town Center. The extension includes revised rates acknowledging high inflation.

In a Feb. 7 memo to the mayor and council, Saunders shared details about the contract extension he was recommending, first recalling how the town began its relationship with Comfort Systems of Virginia.

He noted that it was in January 2022 when the town contracted with CSV to provide HVAC maintenance services at the Windsor Town Center following a competitive solicitation.

“That contract was for one year and allowed for up to four annual extensions if both parties

agreed to them,” he stated. 

The contract also allowed for CSV to have the opportunity to request revisions to the fee schedule of their services at the time of extension, he wrote.

“CSV has provided timely and professional service on the WTC HVAC under this contract and

has also provided plumbing services at the WTC outside of the contract during this time,” Saunders stated. “Due to the initial vendor in the solicitation failing to perform and CSV initiating their services following that, CSV has honored their original rate schedule for longer than a year during a time of abnormally high inflation.”

He said that CSV requested that the town consider increases in the fee schedules on a few services for the next year’s agreement.

Saunders then went into detail on how the requested rate increases were derived.

“In December, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers decreased 0.1%,

seasonally adjusted, and rose 6.5% over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted,” he stated. 

He noted that the index for all items, minus food and energy, increased 0.3% in December, seasonally adjusted, up 5.7% over the year, not seasonally adjusted. 

“CSV is requesting an increase of 6.5% to the below (current) rates,” he wrote, just before listing the current and proposed new rates:

Technician rate (normal hours)

• Current rate: $85
• New rate: $91

Laborer/helper rate (normal hours)

• Current rate: $42.50
• New rate: $45

Technician rate (after normal hours)

• Current rate: $127.50
• New rate: $136

Laborer/helper rate (after normal hours)

• Current rate: $63.75
• New rate: $68

Technician rate (emergency service)

• Current rate: $127.50
• New rate: $136

Laborer/helper rate (emergency service)

• Current rate: $63.75
• New rate: $68

Saunders recommended the Town Council authorize him to proceed with the extension of the contract with CSV for one additional year at the revised rate schedule, and the council followed his recommendation.

“The rates (CSV) went with we deemed were reasonable considering current inflation and such,” Councilman Walter Bernacki said. “We had used (CSV) several times on an urgent basis, and each time they were responsive to the request that we had and got it fixed in a timely manner.”