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GRAFTON, Mass. - The long-awaited decision on Grafton's potential Energy Performance Contract with Honeywell will come tonight after a Special Town Meeting at Grafton High School's John F. Kennedy Auditorium.
The energy conservation project is the only article on the warrant, and the $6.8 million operation is a complicated one.
The concept behind the project is that by bonding out the cost of the project over 20 years, Grafton can enjoy the benefits of nearly $7 million of improvements to its five current school buildings (excluding the brand new and yet-unfinished high school) and the Grafton Municipal Center. The energy savings over the next 20 years would then be used to pay off the bond and fund the project without having to use operation tax dollars or a debt exclusion.
The town will ask to appropriate $6.8 million to pay for the project, as well as transfer $1.65 million in Free Cash, which will buy down the principal of the bond immediately.
Doing so will allows Grafton to net approximately $15,000 per year in the positive from energy savings.
Several voices in town have spoken against including the Municipal Center in the project because of it high-cost, low-return nature. However, reality dictates that the building must be improved (and invested in) at some point, because paying for another building on top of the new high school and the elementary school, police station and fire department that are still on the books, seems unlikely.
Including the Municipal Center in the Energy Performance Contract offers Grafton an alternative to funding the building's renovation work with tax dollars. However, it is just as true that the town could find other ways to use the energy savings from improving the school buildings.
The energy conservation measures include installing building envelopes to reduce heat loss, converting some buildings from oil heat to natural gas, replacing boilers where necessary, and installing central power management for desktop computers.
The Municipal Center needs the most work (and the most costly). The ECMs include a number of exterior upgrades, which includes replacing most of the roof and windows, and sealing and re-pointing the building,
The proposed motion for the warrant article, according to the office of Town Administrator Tim McInerney, will read as follows:
"I move that the Town appropriate $6,800,000 to pay costs of making energy conservation improvements to various municipal and school facilities consistent with the Investment Grade Energy Audit of Town facilities conducted by Honeywell, Inc.,
including the payment of all costs incidental and related hereto, and that to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, is authorized to borrow $6,800,000 in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 7(3B) of the General Laws, or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefore. In addition to the amount authorized to be borrowed and expended for this project, $1,650,000 shall be transferred from Free Cash to pay debt service associated with the repayment of the borrowing authorized by this vote."
Town Meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Grafton High School's John F. Kenedy Memorial Auditorium. Votes will be counted once Town Moderator Ray Mead has closed the ballot.
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