Selectmen Told of Savings on Bonds, Energy Contract

The following is part of a transcript from the Jan. 27, 2014 Chelmsford Board of Selectmen meeting. For the full meeting, click here. 

7:57 p.m.

Department of Public Works superintendent Gary Persichetti gave an update on the Energy Management Performance Contract.

He gave an overview of the 29 items in the contract, including….

·         Retrofitting over 1,300 lighting fixtures with new high efficiency lighting

·         Installing automatic sensors that turn off lights during unoccupied periods at several town buildings

·         New roof and attic insulation at several town buildings

·         New windows at the South Fire Station and the School Central Administration building

·         A new cooling unit and furnace at the Senior Center

·         New photovoltaic energy generation at several schools in town

So far, $7,879,178 of the $17,966,698 contract has been expended, with the final contract amount potentially changing due to unforeseen circumstances.

Dixon, Askenburg and Wotjas asked Persichetti questions regarding the photovoltaics as well as water savings and changes in baseline energy use.

Askenburg followed up by asking what will be the first full year of the contract, with Persichetti saying that all the savings would not come in the first full year, with the town not having to pay everything until the project is complete in Sept. 2014, although there have been savings so far, 13 percent according to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

8:16 p.m.

Town treasurer John Sousa reported a successful auction of town municipal bonds.

The proceeds will fund the supplemental fire station appropriation, the Chelmsford Woods project and a refund for a school bond project.

He said the town saved approximately $55,000 in interest costs and that the recent upgrading of the town’s bond rate helped the town get a better rate.

Wotjas made a motion that took several minutes and was truncated. Askenburg seconded to laughter. The motion passed unanimously.

8:23 p.m.

Erik Merrill came before the board to provide an update from the town’s dog park advisory committee.

A request for proposal was put out for the park, and it was determined that Places Associates Inc. was chosen unanimously as the design consultant due to their experience with animal parks.

Their bid was $19,000.

8:26 p.m.

A request to transfer stock to a new stockholder for Yanagi Sushi on Parkhurst Road was approved unanimously.