School district eyes 'green' savings plan; joint meeting set
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 2, 2008 1:45 PM
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners gave its blessings Tuesday to the county school board's plans to enter an $8.2 million guaranteed energy savings contract.
Meanwhile, commissioners and the school board will have a joint meeting next Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the school's Central Office on Royall Avenue. The agenda has not been finalized yet.
School officials announced this week that the two boards will convene on Tuesday to discuss facilities and budget information.
Ken Derksen, public information officer for Wayne County Public Schools, said the two boards will be updated on school construction, contract performance and the status of the budgetary process.
Derksen said representatives from Durham County Schools will be on hand to make a presentation on "community engagement."
Tuesday morning's 8:30 meeting will be followed by the school board's July meeting at 11:30 a.m., moved from its regular meeting time of Monday night to accommodate the joint meeting.
The performance contract plan approved Tuesday allows the school board to contract with a third party, either an engineer or licensed architect, to provide energy conservation measures at the schools.
Those measures will be designed to save the county money by reducing energy consumption and/or energy-related operating costs.
The project will be financed by savings realized through the energy savings.
County Manager Lee Smith said if that is not the case, then the third party picks up the difference in cost.
"They (school board) are not borrowing any money," Smith said.
According to the resolution, those savings are expected to equal or exceed the total costs under the contract. As such, the contract is not expected to require any additional appropriations to the school board or any increase in taxes.