This is December 18th uh meeting of the Michel Regional High School building committee. Um we will start with the uh me finding the agenda. There we go.
So thank you all for attending. We've just come from a tour of the building. Um, I would I would say and I'm I'm going to ask other people to make some comments about the tour, but I'm impressed with how much has been done. There's clearly
still a lot to go. Some of the walls, interior walls still have to be framed up and stuff like that, but uh the different kinds of spaces are clearly defined and um there's been a lot of progress made since our last tour of a few months ago. Anybody else? And I'd
like to thank the the folks from Casiki and KBA and Scansa for arranging the tour tonight. Thank you. Um, anybody else like to make any All right. Thank you. Let's go on to our >> And we're all shocked, Bob. We're in
shock and off stage. It was fantastic. >> It was very good to see. It's such a I mean, it's unfinished, but it's just such a dramatic changing atmosphere from the current school. and the technology. I was saying to Leah, it's like when I
got rid of my 2007 Honda movement and got a new car and you're like, "Wow, >> all of this exists, all these tools." >> I'll say one of the things that we talked about as we were going through it was basically all of the pedagogical
innovation that's going to be possible because of the space. So, just all of the different projects and learning styles and there's so much that is going to be inspirational for the staff and the administrators that it's really
exciting for the kids. >> Yes. >> I just want to echo what we talked about about 15 minutes ago and that is the bathrooms. One of my least favorite things about being a high school teacher was going into the bathroom, a closed bathroom with people unsupervised.
you know, uh, misbehaving and this is not going to happen. >> You know, for anyone who's just watching the recording, can you just explain a little bit about why it's different? >> It's open to the hall in that the washing of hands and
um, coming out of the stalls is is visible. The stalls are all private. Um, and there I I I could just see it happening in my mind that the discipline, the
misbehavior just can't happen the way it did in a in a closed uh class in a closed restroom with people with idle time and in between classes. It really was my least favorite
thing to to have to be the adult in the room for >> Thank you, >> Mr. Chair. If I please, >> um, we was thinking uh an appropriate cadence for the committee is to do a walk approximately every six months as
we come along. I'll take your direction on that as we lay down the schedule. Do you think that'd be appropriate? >> I would ask if there are going to be like major milestones in terms of completion. that would drive the tours as opposed to just
>> you know is is I I if I recollect D-wing is where everything starts and then it goes as a wave through the rest of the building. >> So you know when Dwing reaches a certain stage of completion it might be interesting to go visit that and
>> see what see what uh is going to follow elsewhere. >> All right we'll take >> but but at least once every six months. Yeah. So, we'll take in Sigley's guidance on that to those benchmarks. >> Yeah, we'll keep an eye out on some of those key benchmarks and and I think right before the summer might be a good good time where the auditorium, the high
work is being completed, we're starting the low work, some of the gymnasium high work will be complete. Um, and then we'll be starting some tile, that type of stuff. Um, >> will be developed. >> Yeah, exactly. Everything will be framed out by the summer. Um, so you'll be able
to really see every space. Um, is there any public comment? I was not informed of any. I don't see any. Uh, next up is the approval of meeting minutes of November 2025. They were included in the uh, packet sent
out. Does anybody have any comments or changes about the meeting minutes? If not, could I have a motion to approve the meeting minutes on November 20th? >> Move to approve. >> Second. >> Um,
okay. All those in favor, please uh raise your hand and see tell us when you got all the names. >> Yes. >> Okay. All those opposed. Any abstensions? >> Got it.
>> All right. Thank you. uh report of the chairperson. We had the tour. We've talked about it. I think we'll just move on. Uh next up is reports uh project status and upto-date reports from uh Stanska Castle
Booze and Piggly. Maryanne, who's going to lead the updates? C >> Yeah, sorry. >> Okay. Um, so Scansa has kept up with all our
sort of usual business. Um, we go to the weekly OEC meetings. We have change meetings with the Conigley team. Um, MP coordination meetings. Um, our field staff, Bob and Ashley are out on site spending a lot of time in the building every day. Um, they coordinate with FINA. They're our third party testing
agency as well as um, the building enclosure commissioning agents been out now that we're doing testing on the actual building. Um, we did not see the MSBA this month. They'll be back out in January for another visit. We know they're working on the project funding agreement bid amendment. Um, they've
been asking us a few little questions here and there, but um, we should see a draft of that in the coming weeks. Um, aside from that, we've been having long meetings about the solar conversation, which you'll hear more about later. Um, but yeah, everything's going really well. I think that's probably our update
for this month. >> Thank you. >> A big from ABA. No, I you guys saw the building. >> Best update ever. >> Consley, you have anything you want to add? >> Uh, nothing to add. Just continue to
make good progress. Uh, we're fully tight for the winter. You can see it's pretty warm and dry in there. So, uh, we do plan to make a lot of progress o over the winter months inside. And we are also starting some of the exterior facade work, uh, with metal panels. I don't know if if anyone can see from
like football field, we've started metal panel on the east side of the building. And then on the at the loading dock, we're actually starting some of the thinstone masonry veneer uh in the next few weeks. So that's all uh tented and tarped in, heated to allow us to do the masonry through the winter months.
>> Very good. Amy, >> yeah. What percent complete would you estimate the project at right now? >> Uh schedulewise are probably like 25 30% same dollar-wise about the same.
>> Ross, >> just uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a quick note, uh a thank you to Scanska, our OPM from the school district, uh for allowing us to have uh Bob Shereest, who's one of the field uh folks from Scansa on our site today. Uh he
participated in our uh director of facilities interviews. So just to thank you again to Scansa. >> Any other questions or comments? >> Okay. Um new business would be a discussion andor approval of invoice number 50 for
from Scansa for 203,770. Invoice number 25 from Castle for $113,520. Invoice number 18 from Piki for 5,119,38.80. Invoice number three from uh Beacon uh
for $37125 and invoice number 14 from FINA for $16,766.20 20 for a total of 5,453,73625. Are there any discussion? Is there any discussion or comments about any of
those invoices? Could I have a motion to approve the invoices as read? >> So move. >> I'll second. >> Okay. All those in favor, please raise your hand. >> Quick discussion point. I'm sorry. Sure. Um I assume Ross has has approved and
>> Thank you. >> Yep. Uh yes, we've reviewed invoices presented for this evening. They're all in line with terms of the contracts. We make recommendation for payment. >> Thank you, Leah. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Um all those in favor, please raise your hand.
All those opposed? Any extensions? All right. Thank you. Uh next is an update on the solar uh solar photoic project uh possible project. Um
where we left this last time is we signed a agree to a letter of intent with select energy to uh allow them to uh make some major steps in terms of providing a photovoltaic without um
really committing us to anything permanent. Um, we are expecting to make some decisions in January, but we were we're going to get an update on progress to date this evening. Uh, who will be doing that? Where are you? >> I'll take that right here. >> Thank you.
>> Uh, good evening. So, um, since our last meeting and we appreciate the fact that you folks approved that letter that allowed us to move to the next step with select energy. Um we have confirmed with them that they have safe harbored the project and what that means is that they
have protected the incentive uh tax credits which is good news. That was the goal of having that letter uh be approved. Um this allows us to continue moving forward with our uh evaluation of the options in a thoughtful manner. um
and it takes the pressure off of the timing that that was really the the the uh critical aspect of at this point in time. So our goal is for the project is really to get the best possible rate that's available uh for the high school
and um I know we've discussed it in the past that Ingrid has rules about curtail curtailment for um Bolton due to the um solar saturation throughout the community. So, we're looking at um solar
options with battery storage and also solar options without battery storage. And um but in order to review that uh with the battery, it requires some engineering because there's complexities to developing that model and assumptions
that have to be made. So um we don't want to be in a position where uh we're rushing through the process because we do have once the safe harbor was um completed that we are in a position where we can um really look at this in a
more thoughtful manner. um we don't want to be in a position where we generate energy uh that we can't use and hence uh with that battery storage option we're really working on what is the right size system for the project. Um,
additionally, uh, in the beginning of, uh, December, I have it here that we have a wonderful document from the Department of Utilities that actually speaks to, um, they issued an order where small and municipal projects such
as this one uh, may not come under uh, the restriction of the cont the curtailment that is being um, imposed by uh, Ingred. So given this new development, we are pushing um select
energy and our solar consultant to work towards um developing an energy model um but not at the cost of future savings but to really make sure that we're getting the best rate possible and we're right sizing the system. So the pressure
is off to try and make a decision in December uh given these new developments uh I'm sorry in January and that uh we anticipate that the the decision will be made um based on a model and not on
extrapolating like gee we think it's going to be somewhere in this range and when and don't it's always more expensive and so we have the time here to allow them to go through that process and we anticipate date that we'll be coming back to this group in the spring.
I can't give you an exact date at the moment um to discuss this further. >> Could Could I try to summarize that in my own words to make sure I understand it? >> Sure. >> Um we're looking at installing solar
photoic uh capability as part of a a new high school. Um, normally whatever a generator of that type uses and doesn't generates and doesn't need, you
sell to to the utility company, but National Grid says that they're not going to accept anymore from this part of Bolton. >> Correct. >> Or maybe from Bolton as a whole because it's it's saturated. >> Correct. But the state department of public utilities
in early a couple weeks ago or a week and a half ago sent out a letter that said they can't do that with a small project like this. >> So what they said is they're going to evaluate it and the possibility might be to provide some relief.
>> Okay. So that's a big degree of uncertainty that's been introduced into the study and we need more time to work that out and we don't really know how much more time at this point on on the
other end there's no commitment. There's no need for from a construction angle when do you have to know what what's what's going to happen or any other licensing issues or anything like that. Is there any
deadlines even way out in the future? >> Yeah, I don't want to speak to four uh consigly but you know part of the contract that we have a part of the um project is to have the building solar ready. So we are preparing for that
whether the um this project takes on moving to that next step or not, >> right? >> Uh by code we are required to be solar ready. So we are going to continue to move forward with that. And then um what we don't want to do is rush to say
please give us your um PPA rate, power purchase agreement rate because they're going to if they do it without having the benefit of the time to look at the model and sizing the system. What we do know is that it will be more
a higher rate than if we allow appropriate time to develop for them to develop a model because there's engineering that's required if a battery storage is part of this system and we'll also be evaluating whether battery
storage would be required or not um because of the curtailment. So it's really important to understand the implications here. We have requested um a lay person's interpretation um and it won't come from me. It will
come from an expert about what does this really mean and how does that impact us and um relative to uh the utility company. So um you know I I think the good news is we've taken that first
step. We've uh preserved the um incentive tax credits and we we have we have a window of time here and we fully expect that we'll be back with this group reviewing what the options are. >> Okay.
>> Yeah. Um just one question. So in this process, does the state usually get involved like this with issuing um like an opinion on what Bolton wants to do with the
>> um >> with >> this is from the Department of Utilities, which >> So do they review every decision or is this unusual that they would >> I can't answer that question. >> I'm I'm looking for an interpretation from the solar consultant. >> Yeah.
If what she's asking is you're asking is this this is a decision bridge just to bolton. This is a cross state memo not a >> I see that's that's what I was >> okay >> oh oh I'm sorry I misunderstood the question okay >> any other questions or comments
once electron select energy makes their completes their study will will they put some kind of deadline for us to accept it. >> Um, we haven't had that specific conversation, but I I do believe that as
a business, they'll make a value proposition and and then there will be some back and forth. >> I I hope there's time for the committee to be part of that back and forth, too. >> Yep. As I as I understand it, wouldn't it be
that the school committee would have to agree to that contract >> if it was a long-term lease agreement? Yes. Because that would be something that would take place over a 20-year period. >> And the the the plan you were talking about with the battery storage, that would be a long-term lease agreement.
>> It would be part of the design of the system. It would be part of the system. The question is determining whether or not we need battery storage. Are they still going to produce um an option of us buying the panels or is that kind of off the table at this point? >> Well, I don't want to say it's off the
table because that that hasn't been discussed with this group. >> But I think when we come back where you it's always relative to what you're comparing it to to. So I don't want to speak about one option in isolation. You need to speak about all the op options
relative to each other. And that's what will be put on the table for this committee to then make a recommendation to the school committee on which direction to go. >> Correct. >> Yes. We would we would not we don't have authority to make the final decision but we could recommend to the school committee.
>> So it is unlikely that we will have a decision at the January meeting. >> We will not be seeking a decision in January. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Sometime in the spring. Everybody okay with that?
>> So, is this a is Bolton an Enstar town? Is that the utility we're dealing with? >> Um, >> National Gret the the the unique thing about Bolton, >> okay, >> is that there are three separate >> lines coming into town.
>> One line comes in from Marboro, one line comes in from Sterling, one line comes in from Air. >> They do not connect to each other. >> Okay. So, it's not as though Bolton is one homogeneous,
>> you know, electrical entity or something like that. It's actually three separate electrical districts. All of them run by National Grid. >> Oh, okay. >> But they they the three separate lines don't interact with each other. >> Oh, yeah. We're on Hudson Light and Power. So,
>> okay. Just just kind of a personal question because one if we ran into the same saturation problem in ST. >> No, I mean this conversation would be move in STO because they don't they don't do lease agreements. >> You have to buy them.
>> Interesting. >> What do you mean they don't do >> the public utilities don't offer any of the stuff that the private corporations do? >> Oh, okay. >> So, Hudson Light and Power doesn't offer. >> They have no lease agreements. You would have to buy the panels >> and be the owner.
>> Well, we we've >> and be completely separate from Hustle Light Power. They would have nothing to do >> Well, that's what Select Energy is, right? Select Energy is is correct me if I'm wrong here, but they're a private company that could either install it and
sell it to us or the other option is they install it. They own all the equipment even though it's on premises. They just sell us the electricity. That's another alternative here. >> So, >> and National Grid would just be the um
intermediary. >> No, >> no, no. The way it would work is that if if there was a decision to go solar, >> the discussion was in the vote was that we would uh pursue solar with select,
okay, because they're on the same biders list, etc. Um solar solar would provide supplemental energy. Um the solar system would not provide
for all the needs of the school. So in an ideal situation, you would utilize what was being produced by the solar system and enrid would supplement the rest what would be needed. So I guess that's a that's a question in
my mind. Then then why is the curtailment doesn't does that even apply to our system? >> So if we produce let's just say 100 kilowatt hours, right? The solar does um in the hot summer month um you know it's
full on but then the building only can use 75. >> What do you do with that 25? >> So so normally if we were in a containment we go back to to Ingrid, but now Ingred says, "Hey, we
can't it's we're too full. You guys can't send it back." So that's what the curtailment is. >> So you're saying that some months the building would produce more solar than it needs. Some months they wouldn't. >> Some hours it's like we're looking at hours now. It's it's actually looking at, you know, per hour, not the month.
So, so when they're doing the analysis, they're looking at what what they're projecting like, you know, you know, this hour, you know, this month, this day, and projecting what the, you know, where the sun is and and all that stuff. So, what the uses, but what I'm saying
is that even if select owned the equipment and we were leasing with them and grid, >> you don't buy electricity, it there's two separate entities. >> We're not. >> So, who do we lease the the panels from? We don't own them.
>> Select owns them. We lease the we're allowing them to put their panels on the building and we're leasing the energy they create. >> And the cont the containment is strictly a national grid issue. So there's two different issues that are theoretically separate.
>> National grid sends the the extra energy back. It's >> select is the one who benefits from that additional or extra that we're not using. It's not like we're going to pocket um a reimbursement from National Grid because
>> I think that's what's going to be explained when we bring those options to the table. Right. >> I I think part of the issue now is how do you how do you size this system so that it satisfies the needs of this building
without ever having to send any electricity back to national grid? That's and that's because of curtailment because if we were getting into the curtailment issue, we had too much power but we couldn't basically send it back then we have to change the size of the system.
>> But now like Hudson with the other municipal they may have no curtailment issue at all. So they say oh yeah it's fine. This is strictly a a national grid issue with the curtailment and that's what's basically causing us to make sure
the system size properly and kind of the I said this earlier m the goalpost kind of shifted a little bit with this new information about the curtailment so it's changing how we have to look at the overall design >> we get >> but the good news is we have some time
to do that because the building is being built solar ready anyway So, we're not we're not in the pressure cooker. We did the work we needed to do last month to preserve potential energy credits. >> And is everybody comfortable with this
delay? >> I don't think we have a choice. >> Okay. All right. >> Mr. Yeah. Yes. >> Well, we do we do actually have a choice, but the the the we we could say yes, keep going with it, but there's going to be a lot more variables
that would cause the price they would overengineer things and stuff like that. So, the overall cost would be more. So, the the the the best choice would be to wait to so we have more information. So, we technically do have a choice. If we
wanted to push it, we could, but it doesn't really make sense to push it. >> Correct. Yeah. >> Um, just wanted to say that as we get ready to do that, we're still going to examine the boilerplate contracts. Mr. McCarron will be working with cons council to examine all those issues so
that when we do get to that place, we're ready to go. >> Okay. I would just add, superintendent down that we also have energy tax savers out of New York who has been working with Conigley, KBA, and Scansa on potential inflation reduction act rebates uh for end of project. If you
recall, we put them a retainer over a year ago. they are also available to review these contracts given that they're they're focused on uh sustainable and renewable energy. >> Okay, >> Rich, >> I just was curious if this was budgeted in the original project. Forgive my ignorance.
>> Um this was a few months ago we voted that there were $2 million. >> Okay. Yeah. So remember this. >> So we voted to go ahead and let's investigate this. >> Okay. I remember that. and and and it's
no change to to the final budget. It's part of the it's in the guaranteed maximum price is what I need to the way I should put it. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Um are there any updates on the website? >> Nothing. Other than that, all of your pictures will be up there tomorrow when
I upload pictures to the tour, but otherwise all meeting dates and links are available. >> Bridget, where where on the website will these pictures be? When you go on to the homepage of the district website, up in the top right corner, you'll see initial the regional high school building committee page. If you click on that, there's a slideshow that rotates through
with all of them. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you. >> Um, Mr. Chair, >> yes. >> Is it time to decommission that external Google site? Has that already happened? >> It's still on there, but kind of buried under additional resources. So, it's
there if anyone wants the historical knowledge, but it's not super forward facing because it's not being updated on a regular basis. Is it possible to perhaps make that apparent on the landing page of that site? Yeah. >> I don't know if you have access to it, Bridget, or if maybe >> I think I was given access to it. So, I
can try it tomorrow and if it doesn't work, I'll reach out so that we can >> Okay. Just so that people know, it's no longer active. Really? >> Absolutely. >> Okay, good. Um, are there any other issues people want to bring forward or to put on the next agenda?
If not, do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Second. >> Second. >> All those in favor, please raise your hand. >> All those opposed, please sit on your hands.
>> Thank you everyone. >> All right. Thank you everyone. Yeah.