USD 410 employees may switch to state insurance plan years ago
By JENNIFER WILSON
News editor
During their monthly meeting Monday night, the USD 410 Board of Education gave the go-ahead to pursue a new energy management system for Hillsboro Elementary School.
Representatives from EPM, a company based in Fulton, Mo., attended the meeting to talk about the possible installation.
EPM has already installed one energy system in the Lehigh-Hillsboro-Durham school district: inside the high school/middle school complex. That system began running in June of 2001.
The system uses a computer system to regulate the heating and cooling systems of the building. It deals with both electric and gas power.
Since the computerized EPM system was installed in the high school complex, the district has seen a significant reduction in energy expenses. According to district information, USD 410 saved 23.3 percent of its energy costs in the first year.
At that rate, according to district figures, the system will pay for itself in three years (from the time it was installed).
Right now, since the winter months are slower for EPM crews, the company is offering a 20 percent discount on new systems ordered by January 2003. This is the system that EPM is proposing to the district for the elementary school.
The base system would cost approximately $80,000, with additional "protection" costs and other fees putting the total around $110,000. The district would take out a loan, probably with a ten-year term, to pay for the amount.
With EPM offering this 20 percent discount, the proposed elementary system would pay for itself within four years, said Ben Trout, president of EPM. But without the discount, the system would not be beneficial for the elementary, he said.
Trout said that his systems are built to last 30 years.
"Our failure rate is less than one-half of one percent," he said.
If the board took action now, Trout's company could start work during the Christmas break, he said.
"I could give you a crew before the end of the year," Trout said.
To pay for the new system, the district would need to find a loan that could go as high as $140,000.
Board member Brent Barkman said that the public needed to understand the purchase, if the district does go ahead and buy the system. They'll hear the large dollar amount and wonder why the district is spending that much money when the budget is tight, he said.
And before the project could be approved, the school district needs to open it up for bids from other companies, said Superintendent Gordon Mohn. Theoretically, someone could out-bid EPM.
After more discussion, the board voted unanimously to approve three motions.
The first motion hires an independent engineer, Bill Keeling of Columbia, Mo., to look over the project before the district gives final approval. Keeling served in this role when the board selected the high school system.
The second motion gave Mohn the authority to look for a loan, preferably one with an interest rate under five percent.
"I think we need to stay local if we can," Mohn said.
The final motion gives the president and clerk of the board the authority to purchase the system.
