Lanesborough Weighing Propane vs. Oil For Heating

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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The Board of Selectmen are keeping a close eye on an array of infrastructure projects.
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Selectmen still aren't sure if they want to switch the heating at the police station from oil to propane.
 
The town is embarking on multiple projects at the station as they set their sights on a full renovation. First up the town is putting on a new roof and replacing the heating system,  along with installing new gas pumps. 
 
"In the case of the roof, that is fairly straightforward. The roof is in bad condition and we want to replace it," said Town Administrator Paul Sieloff. 
 
However, the HVAC system is more complicated. At first Sieloff planned on just purchasing a new oil burning system for it.
 
But, Selectman Robert Ericson is suggesting to instead move to propane. Ericson says by moving to propane the town with automatically see 20 percent more efficiency. And as an added benefit the oil tank in the evidence could be removed to free up space for the Police.
 
"The cost for an oil burner it would be about $3,375 for up front material costs. That does not include labor and time. For a gas burner of the same size, it would be $3,312. So they are roughly comparable," Ericson said of the cost for the parts.
 
There will be other costs associated with turning the system into a gas one. The town would have to look into rental or purchasing costs of the tank itself, for example, or see if the system could be tied into the existing propane tank at the historical house next door.  
 
Unsure of which way to go, the Selectmen decided to get three bids for each: for the replacement of oil and moving to propane.
 
"These quotes are only somewhat usable because it doesn't include the installation," Sieloff said, adding that what he's heard is that propane costs are much more volatile.
 
While those projects haven't begun, the replacement of the roof at Town Hall has hit a snag. Ericson said contractors found that where the roof over the library connects with the old town hall roof creates an airflow problem. Essentially, cold air is being cycled throughout the roof through thermal siphoning so the project will need to be crafted.
 
Ericson said for this winter the town will be able to install a foam dam to alter the flow slightly. That should be fairly inexpensive, he said. But, he said the town should fix the thermal siphoning issue to maximize the benefit of 6-inch insulation over the library.
 
Also on Monday, the Selectmen accepted a bid from Stantec of $39,000 to do water monitoring near the landfill. The town is required by the state to perform a certain number of tests — including that on nine homes — because chemicals have been suspected of leaking from the landfill and into water supplies. 
 
"I think it is a good proposal. It does fit within our budget," Sieloff said.
 
The town is hoping to reduce the need of testing by installing a water line up Ore Bed Road. That has been approved by voters but the project has yet to be designed. The town allocated $200,000, which the Selectmen fear may be too low of a number. 
 
Sieloff is looking into doing the work in-house to get a better price. Selectman John Goerlach suggested hiring operators on a temporary basis to complete it.
 
Also on Monday the Selectmen determined to cut back brush from the Bull Hill Road and Balance Rock intersection after neighbors voiced safety concerns. Sieloff said both the Department of Public Works and the police opposed placing stops signs at the intersection and instead improve visibility by cutting back brush.
 
"They aren't enthusiastic about putting more signage," Sieloff said.
 
Selectman Henry "Hank" Sayers, whose nearby business utilizes those roads often, said he, too, doesn't believe turning the intersection into a three-way stop is needed.
 
"I've been traveling that road for 40 years and it is a tough intersection. But, it doesn't warrant stop signs," he said.
 
The only stop sign is on Balance Rock Road but the concern is that it is difficult to see in either direction. Goerlach said the town can cut some of the trees that are in the town's right of way to improve visibility. But, he said neighbors said they didn't like that idea.
 
"In order to have it all removed we'd have to get it surveyed," he said.
 
Also in other business, Ronald Tinkham again asked the Selectmen to find someone to take over the community television station. Tinkham wants to give up running the channel. He said he currently feels responsible to provide the service until somebody else can take it over.
 
The town has been talking to Pittsfield Community Television about reaching an agreement for it to manage the station. 
 
"They are the best target. I should know by tomorrow night if they are a viable option," Sieloff said, adding the he will see if they could do something for either the short term or the long term. 
 
Tinkham also suggested that the town buy newer equipment because the current television equipment is "breaking down." Recently, Tinkham filmed an entire School Committee but then the tape broke. Even after hours of trying to fix it, he said the town ultimately lost the recording.
 
"We have a problem and we need to address it," he said.
 
The Selectmen again delayed naming a five-member committee tasked with investigating possible school district affiliations in place of the current school union with Williamstown.

Tags: capital projects,   public buildings,   public television,   water line,   

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Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation Scholarships

LUDLOW, Mass. — For the third year, Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation (BWPCC) will award scholarships to students from Lanesborough and Hancock. 
 
The scholarship is open to seniors at Mount Greylock Regional High School and Charles H. McCann Technical School. BWPCC will select two students from the class of 2024 to receive $1,000 scholarships.
 
The scholarships will be awarded to qualifying seniors who are planning to attend either a two- or four-year college or trade school program. Seniors must be from either Hancock or Lanesborough to be considered for the scholarship. Special consideration will be given to students with financial need, but all students are encouraged to apply.
 
The BWPCC owns and operates the Berkshire Wind Power Project, a 12 turbine, 19.6-megawatt wind farm located on Brodie Mountain in Hancock and Lanesborough. The non-profit BWPCC consists of 16 municipal utilities located in Ashburnham, Boylston, Chicopee, Groton, Holden, Hull, Ipswich, Marblehead, Paxton, Peabody, Russell, Shrewsbury, Sterling, Templeton, Wakefield, and West Boylston, and their joint action agency, the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC). 
 
To be considered, students must submit all required documents including a letter of recommendation from their school counselor and a letter detailing their educational and professional goals. Application and submission details will be shared with students via their school counselors. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 19.
 
 MMWEC is a not-for-profit, public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts created by an Act of the General Court in 1975 and authorized to issue tax-exempt debt to finance a wide range of energy facilities.  MMWEC provides a variety of power supply, financial, risk management and other services to the state's consumer-owned, municipal utilities. 
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