Southington OKs energy upgrades, new pavilion

Thursday, April 17, 2014 1:05 AM EDT

By BRIAN M. JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

SOUTHINGTON The Town Council unanimously approved Norescos energy upgrades and a new pavilion dedicated to Wounded Warriors at a meeting Monday.

Keith Hanlon and John Kauppinen, project developer and senior account executive at Noresco respectively, gave a PowerPoint presentation of their study to the council Monday night. It was approved six to zero by the council members in attendance, with John Barry, Dawn Miceli, and Christopher Palmieri absent.

The study indicated that the town could save nearly one million dollars annually by upgrading heating and cooling systems, streetlights, and other devices and components in municipal and school buildings. The study concluded that it would cost $13.1 million to replace the current technology, which is over twenty years old and requires frequent repair. Noresco guarantees the projected savings and will pay the difference if they turn out to be less than estimated.

The utility savings and maintenance savings in the first year alone will pay for the cost of our financing arrangement and our measurement and verification services, said Hanlon.

These are necessary improvements to bring the technology up to the current standard, said Kauppinen. A lot of the old equipment has reached the end of its useful life.

The other agenda items were also approved unanimously. Among these, was a motion to approve local 8th grader Andrew Krars planned Eagle Scout project. Andrew, who had already received approval from the Parks and Recreation department in February, gave a PowerPoint presentation detailing his plan to raise over $2,000 to construct a pavilion along the Linear Trail near the Dog Park.

Andrew said the pavilion would be built to honor Wounded Warriors.

It is my desire to do a project that has a personal inspiration and gives back to the local community, he said.

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Southington OKs energy upgrades, new pavilion