June 9, 2011
WJJMS Project Moving Forward
A couple months ago, the Senior Center Study Group presented their recommendation to the Board of Selectmen that a future senior center be incorporated into the proposed renovation at the middle school. Many options were examined, and I believe they made a prudent recommendation.
This recommendation was reviewed by a facilities committee that had been formed, and their recommendation was to move forward on the renovation which could include space for senior, youth, and other community services at the middle school.
The next step in the process is the formation of a building committee to actually develop plans, cost estimates, and proposals. This is a long process that will involve partial state reimbursement, a bond issuance, and of course, construction.
There’s no doubt that a renovation is needed at the middle school and the consolidation of certain town departments into better facilities will enhance our ability to provide community services. This is a very exciting project which I believe will bring a lot of benefit to the entire community.
Again, this will be a long process with a lot of discussion in the community about what we want this facility to be, what services we can offer, and what we can afford.
Energy Conservation
As people prepare for summer vacations and nervously look at gas prices, I thought it was appropriate to comment on how the town handles energy. The price of energy remains high and I’m sure most of us feel it will continue to rise over time. Town operations and facilities consume a huge amount of gasoline, oil, electricity, and propane every year. In order to sustain our operations with the lowest energy costs possible, we must purchase and conserve energy in an intelligent manner.
One of the ways we do this is through bulk purchasing. When we buy energy, we typically purchase it in large quantities. The timing can be tricky as the energy market is prone to sudden shifts based on world conditions. However, we have done very well with our purchasing by managing to secure good pricing.
Another way of dealing with energy costs is through solar panels. We will soon have solar panels installed on some of our faculties to generate as much energy as possible and offset costs. This is a free program which the town is taking advantage of.
Perhaps one of the largest potential energy savings methods is a project we are moving forward with right now. Colchester will soon be soliciting proposals for energy performance contracting. When we enter into one of these contracts, the selected firm will guarantee a certain level of energy savings if they come in and take over the energy usage for a particular building. We are using grant funds to help kick this project off and I anticipate significant energy savings over time because of it.
We continue to look at ways of saving money on energy and in other areas in order to provide the most cost-effective and efficient services possible.
- Gregg Schuster
First Selectman
Previous Selectman Notes can be viewed at
| 