Despite delays, EL energy plan moves forward

BY ROBERT L. BAKER
Times-Shamrock Writer

A significant program converting the energy needs of the Elk Lake schools as well as the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center has met some unexpected delays, school board members were told Thursday.

Kim Guiton, energy manager for the guaranteed energy savings project that will allegedly see the buildings powered by propane gas by Oct. 31 before finally converting to Marcellus natural gas by Dec. 31, noted that the factory shipped the wrong voltage control panels forcing the rewiring of some 43 new Univents.

“This held us up three weeks,” Guiton said, 10 days for the parts to arrive and another 10 days to install and test.

By January 2015, Elk Lake plans to be running completely on natural gas. By transitioning to natural gas, Elk Lake hopes to drastically cut down on energy costs while, at the same time, utilizing an energy source that is literally right in their backyard.

The temporary propane installation will power the school buildings until they are ready to make the switch to natural gas via supplier Leatherstocking in January.

The school is transitioning from oil boilers to a new energy system, which will be fueled by an 18,000 gallon propane tank throughout the fall.

School board member Arden Tewksbury asked Guiton if the delays would affect the cost of the project.
“No,” she said. “There is no question. I am sure of it.”

Superintendent Ken Cuomo said he had met with Leatherstocking representatives Wednesday, and they were “pretty sure” permits would be in place to build the compressor that would eventually bring the gas to the Elk Lake campus by year’s end.

He said he has occasionally been asked by neighbors of the school grounds if they would be a able to hook up, too?

“Eventually, yes,” he said, while noting the first priority is getting it to the school.

In the principals’ reports, high school principal Brian Mallery announced the individual class officers, and noted that for the seniors, particularly, they had raised some $2,200 in a corn sale with ears of corn supplied by board member Roger Place’s farm.

Mallery noted that Homecoming activities would be happening in the week ahead, with a bonfire on Friday, and dance on Saturday, culminating in the crowning of a Homecoming Queen and King.

The Elk Lake board
*passed a Head Start food agreement to provide snacks,
*approved a professional employee contract for special education teacher Katherine Lucenti Pierson and a contract revision for elementary teacher Julianne Brudnicki,
*approved a substitute list, lifeguard list, new teacher mentors list, and a list of 15 tuition waiver students,
*hired Jillian Dunn to a speech language position at an annual salary of $42,000,
*entered into a waste management contract of $25,034 with J. Auckland Lawn Maintenance Service, and
*okayed a payment of $838,558.76 to Johnson Controls, marking the second to last payment for the Energy transition project.

Several athletics/activity positions also were announced: Karin DeLancey (wrestling cheerleading), Frank Passetti (varsity girls cross country), Tonya Boatman (choral director and fall pianist), Kathy Zayleskie (costume director), Scott McAleer (girls’ JV soccer), Tony Blisure (varsity softball), Amanda Winans (JV asst. softball), and Robert Gagliardi (JV wrestling).

Asked about whether the varsity boys’ swimming coach position had been filled, Mallery said it had not.
He noted that Marion Austin would be varsity girls’ swimming coach and Jim Phillips would be helping some with the boys program in the interim.

It was announced that the next scheduled Elk Lake board meeting set for Oct. 1 had been moved to Oct. 8.