There's a wind-chill effect in the Sharon municipal building.

The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system in the building is antiquated and not functioning properly, said Greer Hayden of HHSDR Architects Engineers, Sharon. It's going to cost $410,000 plus engineer fees to fix the system, he told city council Thursday.

Some improvements have been made to the system, but there is still about $150,000 worth of work needed to complete those improvements, he said.

The diffusers -- which disperse air throughout a room -- don't work, so the forced air falls directly on people while they work, creating a "wind-chill effect," Hayden said.

To replace the diffusers, the city would also have to replace the ceiling and lights in the building to accommodate a new diffuser system, he said.

That work would cost $260,000, Hayden said.

The amount of money was a surprise to council members, who were told at the start of the project that it would cost an additional $175,000.

Mayor David O. Ryan said people working in the offices are freezing, and the lunchroom is so cold it's unbearable. He said they've duct-taped vents to stop air flow, and people bring space heaters.

Ryan said the money to fix the system was supposed to come from $2 million the city borrowed last August for capital improvements.

Councilmen George Gulla and Lou Rotunno insist council never agreed to use the borrowed money to repair the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

"That money's not coming out of this loan," Gulla said. "There's no way I'm gonna say this money's coming out of this loan."

Gulla said the money is supposed to be used for streets and curbs and now it's being used for "wish list" projects. He said he doesn't care if it's a 4-1 vote, he won't vote to spend money from the loan for repairs.

"It's going to be a 3-2 vote, not 4-1," Rotunno said.

Council President Fred Hoffman asked Ryan to prepare, for a future meeting, a proposal on what to do with the system.