The Tamaqua Area School Board, poised to approve a nearly $3 million pact for infrastructure upgrades and energy savings, raised questions about the firm and the project Tuesday night.

Earlier this year, the board heard a proposal from the McClure Company of Harrisburg to undertake a district-wide project that would guarantee the district $2 million in savings over the next 20 years.

The board sought proposals from firms as part of the investment-grade energy audit under Act 163, The Guaranteed Energy Savings Act, and three firms — McClure, the Quandel Group and Honeywell Inc. — submitted proposals.

Last month, the administration, which reviewed and ranked the proposals, recommended McClure, and the board OK’d the firm to do the energy audit.

“That is complete,” Business Manager Connie Ligenza said during the board’s committee meeting. “Now, we’re at the point to approve the project.”

Ligenza pointed out that the initial figures were about $200,000 higher than the final costs now submitted.

The project includes needed-upgrades to the middle school boiler and chiller, which are expected to cost more than $1.1 million, a high school pool upgrade, which comes in at $517,180; replacing a failing computer classroom heating/cooling unit, a water filtration system at the middle school and lighting retrofits in all the schools.

The majority of energy savings come from the LED lighting retrofits, but the Guaranteed Energy Savings program allows the district to undertake the needed infrastructure projects as well, Ligenza said.

“This is a way to get critical infrastructure repairs complete without having to do the whole design and bid process,” she said.

Board member Dan Schoener asked which of the projects on the list the administration wanted to tackle, and Ligenza said that they could do it in stages. However, the administration recommended moving forward with the entire project.

“These are all items that are on our list in the near future, minus maybe some of the lighting,” Superintendent Ray Kinder told the board, pointing out that the boilers and chillers need to be replaced.

“We’re going to be doing this anyway. We have funds coming in,” he said.

The district is looking at grant funding to support the project, as well as using capital projects funds.

Board President Larry Wittig questioned the selection of McClure and how the firm is paid through the project, and Kinder explained the evaluation process.

Ligenza also offered to have McClure present to the board next week and answer any questions on the project before approving $2.99 million agreement.

The project is expected to get underway this summer and some work due to an extended timeline on ordering parts and equipment could stretch into the fall.