AVON CLEAN ENERGY COMMISSION
AVON ROOM BUILDING #1 TOWN HALL
MINUTES
MARCH 2, 2011
I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER a. Introduction of new commission member
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM by Vice Chairman Bernard Zahren in the Avon Room, Building 1 Town Hall. Members present: Vice Chairman Bernard Zahren, Martin Kaplan, Jeffrey Bernetich and new member Brian Glenn. Member absent: Linda Meyers. Advisory member present: Giorgina Paiella. Advisory members absent: Jonathan Craig and Diane Zhao. Also in attendance were staff members Town Clerk Ann Dearstyne and Assistant to the Town Manager Steve Bartha.
Mr. Zahren introduced the members to new commission member Mr. Glenn and the audience. Mr. Glenn is a native of Avon and has served on various committees in Bristol and is familiar with meeting protocol. He is interested in clean energy and is anxious to get started. Mr. Zahren also mentioned that he was considering a request by the Town Council to accept chairmanship of the commission. He said he’d be happy to do it as long as he had dedicated individuals on the commission who’d be ready to dig in and contribute in order to do the job right. Each commission and staff member gave a brief introduction as well.
II. APPROVAL OF THE PRECEDING MEETING MINUTES – December 8th
Mr. Zahren asked for approval of the previous minutes. Mr. Kaplan motioned, Mr. Bernetich seconded and all agreed to accept the December 8th minutes as presented. Mr. Glenn abstained as he was absent from the meeting.
III. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE
Acting Chairman Zahren welcomed audience members who among others included Town Council member David Pena and BOE Director of Facilities Peter Gaski.
IV. OLD BUSINESS: a. Solar PV system, b. Regional Grant Update, c. Discuss new school energy competition
Mr. Zahren summarized the 20% by 2010 contest to date. Set a year ago, the goal to achieve 1000 points to obtain solar panel arrays for the Middle School has not been met. Efforts to generate sign-ups on the website have been poor. So far the town will receive 2 kW’s of panels for 200 sign-ups but really needs 10kW’s in order to make installation feasible. Mr. Zahren suggested going through the school system to get people to sign up or a school energy competition but felt it too late at this time of the year. Unless the commission makes a major push for sign-ups, Mr. Zahren suggested instead focusing on the leftover grant funds. Mr. Bernetich questioned if the leftover grant monies could be applied for the solar panels. Mr. Zahren said that they weren’t part of the acceptable items for the grant. Mr.
Bernetich then asked if fundraising could take place at the Middle School to pay for the solar panels. Mr. Zahren questioned the legality of donating to a school. Mr. Pena said the funding for another project, the Pine Grove playground, was raised through the PTO and not the town itself. Mr. Zahren added that the library was currently raising funds for the renovation and could strain the residents. He added too that one of the reasons for the sign-ups was to raise awareness to the town residents of the efforts to increase green energy. Fortunately, Mr. Zahren said the price of solar panels was coming down fast. He asked Ms. Dearstyne to help arrange a meeting with the new school Superintendent to discuss these ideas.
Mr. Bartha gave a brief update of the status of the energy plan and the Town’s EECBG formula grant. Part of the energy plan requires statistical information on building layouts, energy usage as well as fleet vehicle gas consumption and maintenance in order to provide a baseline to create analysis for comparison of efforts and results. Peregrine Energy has started preliminary fact finding with the schools and town buildings. Mr. Williams and Mr. Trujillo of Public Works have compiled power usage and fleet information. Peregrine has requested to meet with the Commission at its April meeting to discuss Avon’s energy plan. Its proposed price for the service is $26,250.00, leaving a balance in the regional grant of $23,750.00. The balance of the OPM formula grant is $24,250.00. Mr. Kaplan questioned if wastewater
was to be evaluated as a part of the plan. Mr. Bartha said this was not included but that he could ask about the issue. Mr. Bartha concluded that the next big step would be having Peregrine in the room to discuss the direction the Commission would give them.
Mr. Zahren asked if there were any other town plans the members could view. Mr. Kaplan mentioned Wethersfield and Glastonbury. Mr. Bartha offered to send the Holyoke, MA plan to the members, which was included in the original Peregrine proposal. Mr. Bartha said charettes would be included in Peregrine’s plan as well.
V. NEW BUSINESS: a. Appointment of a commission member as a liaison on energy plan, b. Remaining EECBG Formula Grant funds, c. Reschedule April Meeting (conflicts with BOF Budget Workshop)
A commission member appointed as liaison with Peregrine will be considered at a later meeting. Mr. Bartha reminded the members that OPM would be setting deadlines to use the grant monies. He said too that they didn’t want to see any towns not using the funds so decisions will have to be made soon on how to use the remaining grant money. The Town’s position is that we had over $8 million in capital requests come in this year and only $1.5 million to devote to them in the budget, so he recommends this consideration for the remainder. He suggested also looking to Public Works and the schools as well as Peregrine for ideas.
Mr. Bartha said the Commission’s April meeting will conflict with the Board of Finance’s Budget Workshop and requested to change the date to the following week. The Clean Energy meeting will meet instead Wednesday, April 13th in the Selectmen’s Chamber, Building One, Town Hall.
VI. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION
Mr. Zahren thanked Mr. Kaplan for the hard work he has put into this Commission. He added that Mr. Kaplan reads related material and has put in tremendous hours and certainly appreciates his efforts.
Mr. Kaplan discussed the Senate energy bill (SB-1) that affects municipalities. The governor has selected an energy director to head a group that will set energy policy for the State of Connecticut. Mr. Kaplan feels he will do a lot for the State with funding of green energy. He said the hearings take place in Hartford. Mr. Zahren added that the governor supports the bill. Mr. Kaplan said there are stakeholders that don’t want the bill to pass including the energy companies, CL & P or DPUC. Mr. Zahren said the bill will be hard to pass because it contains many pieces. He feels the town should support many parts of the bill. Ms. Dearstyne described the process to get the town’s support. She said one member of the commission needs to contact Town Manager Mr. Roberston to determine if he can provide a letter.
If it’s something where the town needs to take a position then this is something that probably needs to go through the Town Council. She suggested starting the dialogue with Mr. Robertson. Mr. Kaplan suggested a website 20by2010cleanenergy@google.groups to find all the State entities for information. Mr. Zahren offered with the help of Mr. Kaplan to research the bill for information to present to Mr. Robertson. Mr. Kaplan particularly wants the virtual net metering provision of the SB-1 bill to be supported.
Mr. Kaplan updated the members on the status of the Canton Hydroelectric Commission. Avon shares the lower dam with the town of Burlington. The committee has been meeting for 1-1/2 years and has hired a firm (GZA) to do a feasibility study which they presented in January. Canton’s Dick Barlow attempted to renew a FERC license. GZA determined that Canton instead apply for a new one. Mr. Kaplan joins Adam Lazinsk (another Avon member on the Canton committee) in recommending that Avon bow out of the project though not officially yet. In order for the towns of Avon and Burlington to get up to 50% of the energy generated, they need to kick in $7.1 million minimum with no payback at the end of 30 years. Canton, on the upper dam, will achieve payback in ten years. He said unofficially that the Avon Town Council will not
approve that kind of money with no payback. Mr. Kaplan added that he is not to go to the Town Council until an official report is presented from the Canton BOS. He is recommending to the Commission that Avon bow out. Mr. Pena suggested telling Mr. Robertson so that he could go to the Town Council with the information.
Mr. Zahren said March 18th the schools have an in-service day where three back to back classes are being run on different subjects. He was contacted to promote clean energy in the town and through his own house but would really like to have the kids take hold of the commission’s efforts because he feels they are the generation that will benefit and carry on. Mr. Glenn suggested he promote awareness and involvement and extend invitations to our meetings. Audience member Ms. Levin suggested explaining the sign-ups and how it works, which could help to get the parents engaged.
Ms. Dearstyne asked that Mr. Zahren and Mr. Bernetich e-mail dates they’d be available to meet with the new Superintendent of Schools to discuss the school related issues. Mr. Zahren thanked the members and the audience for attending the meeting and asked for any help with these initiatives.
VII. DO ANY BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THIS MEETING
VIII. ADJOURN
Mr. Glenn motioned, Mr. Kaplan seconded and all agreed to adjourn the meeting at 8:32 PM. None opposed.
Respectfully submitted:
Acting Chairman Bernard Zahren
Attest: Susan Gatcomb, Clerk
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