The Marion Energy Management Committee met with the Board of Selectmen to discuss a series of improvements to lighting and energy systems for various town buildings. The two groups met at the Selectmen’s regular meeting on Tuesday, September 4 in the Marion Town House.
The Energy Management Committee presented a report after NSTAR conducted an energy audit examining where the town could save money by improving lighting and energy systems at town facilities. The facilities that were audited include the Town House, Fire Department, Police Department, DPW, Waste Water Treatment Plant, Music Hall, Taber Library, Harbormaster’s building and Sippican School. The Police Department was excluded from any of the upgrades since it is a new facility.
Based on the assessment, the Energy Management Committee made three recommendations for upgrades to the facilities. The first would replace all lights and sensors in all of the facilities with the exception of the Town House. The new lights would cost $169,000 and could save the town up to $65,000 annually.
The second recommendation is to replace the insulation and boiler controls in the Fire Department. The cost of the project is $7,000 with a payback period of seven years. Making the change could save the town $1,000 annually.
The final recommendation is to replace the boilers in the Music Hall and Library. With a payback period of ten years and a project cost of $44,000, the improvement could yield up to $3,000 per year in savings.
No decisions were made with the three proposed recommendations. The Energy Management Committee will be providing more specific details as they become available from NSTAR.
The Board approved a Pavement Management Program that would examine every road in the town. CDM Smith, an engineering firm, will look at the roads and make recommendations for improvements. The project has been approved as a Chapter 90 project by Mass Highway and will be paid for by Chapter 90 funding.
“We need to wrap our arms around the roads in this town because clearly they are not self-healing,” said Selectman John Henry.
Town Administrator Paul Dawson updated the Board of Selectmen on the status of the Sprague Cove situation. Dawson said they obtained all of the necessary documents from the company who performed the maintenance on Sprague Cove to rid it of invasive plant species. By securing the documents, the town was able to put plans in motion to pay for the project.
Friends of Silvershell Beach offered to donate $12,000 to the town to pay for the maintenance work that was completed. Additionally, they will pay for the herbicides for the first year of a three-year maintenance plan while a more permanent solution is drafted.
“Things are on the straight and narrow,” said Dawson about the status of the situation.
Dawson also updated the Board on the status of the Marion General Store parking lot by saying he went and visited the lot to check out the lines. He said the lines were not visible and it was definitely time to repaint them. He is currently in the process of pricing out the project with a contractor and should have a price by the next meeting.
The Board of Selectmen will meet again on Tuesday, September 18 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House.
By Katy Fitzpatrick
