Well I confess that I did not go to journalism school, but I'm pretty sure one of the basic elements is to know how to spell the name of the governor of the state you're in.
This story in the Daily News about proposed solar panels on the Nock Middle School was interesting, content-wise, but this sentence was kind of stunning:
It's Moak's belief that new guidelines written into Gov. Duval Patrick's Green Communities Act are not the most efficient means to get a good price and value.
Someone wrote in an online comment, "psssst... you spelled the governor's name wrong...."
Well, Deval is not the most common of names, but geez Louise ...
As for the content, I agree with the other comment on the story, that anything you have to do NOW might be suspect.
I do know, however, that (as School Committee member Bruce Menin says in the story) this is something the School Committee has been talking about for some time. Since the mayor is the chairman of the School Committee, I'm sure he or someone else has been looking into it all this time. Well, it says so right here, in the story:
"We had to step this up really quick at the end of the summer," said Moak on Friday. "We had no intentions of coming around to a decision this quickly, but it became an acute time frame and we chose to make the administrative decisions to go with the power purchase agreement."
Moak explained that under the terms of this power purchase agreement, the city would agree to purchase energy created by the panels from EyeOn at a cost of 14 cents per kilowatt, escalating 4 percent each year for the 20-year life of the agreement. EyeOn energy would pay for the panels and installation, and offer Newburyport an opportunity to purchase the panels in seven years at a depreciated cost of $687,000.
Moak explained he's been looking into various "green" energy alternatives for the city for more than a year, but the process was accelerated when a member of his Energy Task Force Committee — one of 11 members brought aboard last February to evaluate various green energy options for the city — pitched him on the idea of making Nock Middle School a host site for a system of solar panels it wouldn't have to immediately pay for.
Let's see if the city gets the waiver from the state because there was no bidding process, which is required under MGL Chapter 25A. There's also some lingo in Gov. Patrick's new law, the Green Communities Act. You can read a full summary of the act here, from the Conservation Law Foundation.
"I used to bid projects when I was in business," Moak added. "Bids were not always your best price or your best service."
Well, perhaps he learned a lesson from the mangled PI water/sewer project.
Monday, September 1, 2008
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5 comments:
A no bid contract signed in a rush? Does anyone remember New Ventures?
Good point, Dick. But I'm of the mind that the mayor is a bit more on the ball than that.
hi,
the whole proposal is rather interesting. look around, this is not very big at the moment, these companies are just starting out using private funding.
i could not find any projects they have done yet, just proposals (with at least one that is being fast-tracked for the same reasons).
there's also the fact that if its on the nock, we might not own it, but we might have to deal with it.
roof repair? leaks?
and jeff's responses are also interesting, to pressed for time to reveal costs and specifics?
i'd like to know how much he is getting paid for brokering the deal.
gillian, its not so much being on the ball, but knowing what you are doing. when the energy committee (people who i expect are actually in the industry) are not getting any answers, we even have them. lets just let the mayor make all the decisions himself.
thanks,
sds
sds, You are correct about the mayor making unilateral decisions. He seems to do that a lot, doesn't he?
There are a lot of red flags here. Since at least some of the people on the energy committee are part of the mayor's 'inner circle,' though, I expect the deal has been scrutinized.
Good point about the Nock roof, too. I think it needs a new one (not sure the current one has been paid for yet), so let's also see how that plays out.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees an "order now while supplies last..." infomercial quality to all of this..... A "Green Music Man"
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