School Board plans to hear energy-saving ideas this week

Three companies that have made presentations about energy-saving plans to the St. Landry Parish School Board will be asked to return with brief presentations at 4 p.m. May 19.
The School Board agreed to the date following the Building, Lands and Sites Committee rejection of a recommendation by Superintendent Edward Brown for a one-year contract with Star Service Inc., of Baton Rouge. The contract would have cost the school system $195,876 and was presented as a pilot study.
Star Service representatives were present at the April 25 committee meetings presumably to make a presentation, but the committee never invited them to do so.
Instead, the committee is recommending at Thursday’s 4 p.m. School Board meeting that a date be set for Star Service and two other energy-saving companies, Johnson Control and Cenergistics to make presentations.
The committee has already heard presentations of about an hour in length from the companies on how they would save the school system energy costs.
Johnson Controls proposed the school system do a bond issue to fund the purchase of new equipment. Start Service proposal centers on maintenance of existing equipment. Cenergistics stressed changing behavior to reduce to energy costs.
Brown said the Star Service contract would pay for itself.
A bid process is not required for a service contract, Brown said.
School Board member Randy Wagley, of Opelousas, said considering the energy-saving companies’ proposals was like comparing apples to oranges.
Donnie Perron, a School Board member from Port Barre, said, “All of you listened to all of these companies. They made some great presentations. All them had some very positive things that would help us in the future, but as Mr. Wagley said, they are different.”
But Perron said of the Star Service contract, “I think this is a good start and I think we have to trust our administration that looked it much longer than we did.”
Anthony Standberry, a Lawtell board member, said, “This board has some time when it comes to talking about and saving money or making money or spending money. We can’t just haphazardly spend the taxpayers’ money,” Standberry said.
Star Service’s proposal was for work at Eunice, Beau Chene and Northwest high schools.
Board members Milton Ambres and Charles Ross questioned why the three schools were selected.
The three schools were selected because of their energy costs and the possibility of a having the greatest savings, Tressa Miller, finance director, said.
Wagley added a budget reason for the School Board to act as fast as possible.
“I do think it needs to be done as quickly as possible because every day we don’t do it we are spending money we could be saving,” Wagley said.
Albert Hayes Jr., a Eunice board member, received the committee’s support when he suggested the matter be tabled until each company is invited to make their presentations again to the board.