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R-2 Energy
Improvement Project Grows to $1.8 Million By LAURA SCHULER / C-T City Editor, Wednesday, April 19, 2006
What began as a $1.2 million energy improvement project for the district's aging buildings has grown to a $1.8 million project after the Chillicothe R-2 School Board approved a base proposal with some additions from Control Technology and Solutions, a guaranteed performance contracting company. The board approved a letter of intent to work with the company during the regular March meeting and signed off on a base project proposal at district headquarters. The district has been talking about making energy improvements to the district's aging buildings for almost a year-and-a-half. However, the board put the project on hold until the state's new school spending plan was approved before taking any action. CTS officials, including David Harvey, company director, were on hand during the meeting to explain in detail the scope of the base proposal and the additions to it. Following that presentation, the board held a public hearing on financing the energy improvement project and no public comment was made. Before the next regular meeting, the contract with CTS will be finalized and be subject to board approval. Harvey told the board that included in the base proposal is the cost of installing drop ceilings and efficient lighting, making communication upgrades and other retrofits in the district's aging buildings. The revised lighting layout in the elementary buildings, he said, will allow students to better see the smartboards. The new lights will also feature an occupancy sensor - automatically shutting off when the room is unoccupied. The shop area at the middle school and its cafeteria will also receive lower ceilings, he said. Added to the base proposal is the cost of putting a new roof on a portion of the middle school, a new wheel chair lift on its east end and making needed electrical upgrades at Grand River Technical School. After these projects are complete, CTS is guaranteeing energy savings to the district to the tune of $65,150, reducing the district's net payment from $125,000 to $59,890 annually, without consideration of savings the district would earn from making some repairs included in the project. The district will make annual payments for up to the next 15 years, but the work included in the proposal is slated to be substantially completed by the end of the summer. Superintendent Dale Wallace reported that the district needs to install a chair lift in the middle school by the next school year in order to comply with ADA (American Disabilities Act) regulations. The lift, estimated to cost $55,870, will be installed on the school's southwest stair area and will include a platform and ramp with safety arms with a capacity of 550 pounds, Harvey said. The electrical upgrades at Grand River Technical School were added to the base proposal because the current electrical system at that facility represents a “significant concern,” to the district, CTS officials said. When the GRTS electrical system was put in the building's south end in 1967, engineers installed an ungrounded electrical system. While the system proved adequate for what the school needed back then, problems have surfaced in recent years due to more complicated tools being used primarily in the welding department, according to Roger Wolf, GRTS co-director. |
All but one of the 11 air-conditioning units were being installed
July 14, 2006, at