Monday night's Middletown Township Committee Workshop meeting was short and sweet, which will make the video below a quick watch. The meeting lasted just 30 minutes but even though it was a short meeting there were a few interesting discussions worth mentioning.
The first discussion of interest takes place at about the 6:45 minute make of the video and the discussion centers around the replacement of the roofs at the Croydon Hall Senior Center and the Public Works. That discussion was followed by a discussion about the need to implement road projects in the year that the funding ordinance was adopted. Often times the township puts the cart before the horse as it pertains to road projects that are then not done in a timely manner.
Tony Mercantante, the Township Administrator, reminded the Committee that the projects were divided so the engineering work was done in one year and the actual work was done the following year. The Administrator said the schedule is being refined so the engineering work is done in the cold months so the project will commence when the weather warms up.
Township Committee Comments start at the 12:20 mark and other than Tony Fiore, who spoke and droned on several minutes (sometimes I think he just likes to hear himself speak) about Governor Christie's visit to Port Monmouth last week, the FEMA information session at Middletown North High School on the November 28th and the Mayor's meeting that took place in Tinton Falls between 23 regional mayors and JCP&L to discuss what JCP&L could have been done better in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
My favorite portion of the meeting, the Public Comments, starts at 21 minutes into the video.
Linda Baum asked about the cost of storm related expenses and how much money would be needed for clean-up and repairs. She also wanted to know if the earlier mentioned roof replacements where among those that were included in the solar analysis from earlier this year.
Also of note and a point of interest to those affected by flooding after Hurricane Sandy,resident Andrew Bane asked about the new FEMA flood regulations that specify how,when and why flood victims would need to elevate their homes before they could rebuild after excessive storm flooding. Tony Fiore and Tony Mercantante gave him a pretty good explanation but it was a bit confusing. For more information about FEMA's new flood regulations you can find it .... Here
As always, you can download a copy of the meeting agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars
Showing posts with label solar project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solar project. Show all posts
Friday, December 7, 2012
Friday, September 30, 2011
It's Your Town - Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 19- 9/19/11
Once again I am a little late at posting the latest edition of It's Your Town newsletter, the newsletter was sent out to subscribers on Monday.This edition is covers the Township Committee meeting held on Monday night September 19, 2011. Inside you will find a wealth of information that a person wouldn't normally know about unless they attended one of the Township Committee meetings themselves.
For instance, there was a public hearing on the new snow removal and brush and leaf removal ordinances and an update on the time frame of having Hubbard Ave repaired (it happens to be approx. 4 weeks).
During public comments a question arose about the Township's Solar Project that has now been downsized from 4.1 mega watts (MW) to 2.8MW, the commenter wanted to know why. There also seemed to be a discrepancy in a bond issue that had a perceived $100K error that the commenter asked about but the question went unanswered.
If the Township won't broadcast these meetings over it's public access T.V channels than this newsletter is the best record of what actually transpired during these meetings.
If anyone is interested in subscribing to the It's Your Town newsletter, you can do so by sending your request to itsourtown@yahoo.com.
If you don't want to subscribe but want to read this edition of the newsletter you can do so by clicking ..........Here
Happy Reading
Friday, July 8, 2011
Savings From Middletown Solar Project Questioned
By guest blogger Linda Baum
Anyone who attended the Middletown Town Committee meeting on June 20th got to see Birdsall Engineering’s presentation of its solar feasibility study. A pdf version of that presentation is now on the town’s website. The Birdsall representative, Jessica Vogel, repeatedly emphasized the 9 cent solar electric rate assumed in Birdsall’s savings analysis, and the Town Committee joined her in repeating the $6.6 million savings achieved over 15 years.
Interestingly, the analysis doesn’t list what assumptions were made in arriving at that savings figure (labeled “cost avoidance” in the study). To know what you’d save, you have to know what you’d otherwise pay, right? So Birdsall would have to have known what the town pays its supplier for the electricity.
I brought up this issue at the town workshop meeting on July 6th. I learned that currently the town pays around 11 cents per kilowatt hour. I played with the Birdsall numbers -- they assume a utility rate of more than 17.5 cents, and rising. I asked about the other assumptions used in the study. Committeeman Settembrino said that the panels are expected to produce 0.5% less electricity each year, but the Birdsall numbers assume that production will drop by only 0.25% each year.
The effect of those inaccuracies is to make it appear that the town will achieve much bigger savings than they actually will. Per Birdsall, a 9 cent per kilowatt hour rate for solar electricity (escalating by 3% each year) will produce savings over 15 years of $6.6 million. Had they used accurate inputs, the savings figure would be closer to $1 million. But if the town is able to get a utility rate closer to the county’s current rate of around 9 or 9.5 cents, there will be no savings at all.
The Town Committee said that they hadn’t checked the numbers in the study and pointed out that Birdsall is a reputable firm. So who am I to question them, right?? They asked what I was getting at. They said, “If the savings are lower, should we not do this? Are you saying we shouldn’t provide tax relief to residents?”
Whoa!!! No, that is not what I’m saying at all. I’m all for solar. Always have been. But I’m also for truth and accuracy. If the assumptions underlying Birdsall’s analysis are inaccurate, then the study does a poor job of assessing feasibility. And wasn‘t that the point? Does that mean we shouldn’t pursue solar? No. It means we should be looking for a much better deal than 9 cents per kwh.
I have to wonder why no one on the Town Committee seemed more concerned that Birdsall’s numbers are wrong. If the town is using the study as a guide to assess offers from developers, then they will be ill-equipped to do so.
Anyone who attended the Middletown Town Committee meeting on June 20th got to see Birdsall Engineering’s presentation of its solar feasibility study. A pdf version of that presentation is now on the town’s website. The Birdsall representative, Jessica Vogel, repeatedly emphasized the 9 cent solar electric rate assumed in Birdsall’s savings analysis, and the Town Committee joined her in repeating the $6.6 million savings achieved over 15 years.
Interestingly, the analysis doesn’t list what assumptions were made in arriving at that savings figure (labeled “cost avoidance” in the study). To know what you’d save, you have to know what you’d otherwise pay, right? So Birdsall would have to have known what the town pays its supplier for the electricity.
I brought up this issue at the town workshop meeting on July 6th. I learned that currently the town pays around 11 cents per kilowatt hour. I played with the Birdsall numbers -- they assume a utility rate of more than 17.5 cents, and rising. I asked about the other assumptions used in the study. Committeeman Settembrino said that the panels are expected to produce 0.5% less electricity each year, but the Birdsall numbers assume that production will drop by only 0.25% each year.The effect of those inaccuracies is to make it appear that the town will achieve much bigger savings than they actually will. Per Birdsall, a 9 cent per kilowatt hour rate for solar electricity (escalating by 3% each year) will produce savings over 15 years of $6.6 million. Had they used accurate inputs, the savings figure would be closer to $1 million. But if the town is able to get a utility rate closer to the county’s current rate of around 9 or 9.5 cents, there will be no savings at all.
The Town Committee said that they hadn’t checked the numbers in the study and pointed out that Birdsall is a reputable firm. So who am I to question them, right?? They asked what I was getting at. They said, “If the savings are lower, should we not do this? Are you saying we shouldn’t provide tax relief to residents?”
Whoa!!! No, that is not what I’m saying at all. I’m all for solar. Always have been. But I’m also for truth and accuracy. If the assumptions underlying Birdsall’s analysis are inaccurate, then the study does a poor job of assessing feasibility. And wasn‘t that the point? Does that mean we shouldn’t pursue solar? No. It means we should be looking for a much better deal than 9 cents per kwh.
I have to wonder why no one on the Town Committee seemed more concerned that Birdsall’s numbers are wrong. If the town is using the study as a guide to assess offers from developers, then they will be ill-equipped to do so.
Friday, July 1, 2011
It's Your Town Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 12- 6/20/11: The Methadone Clinic Uproar
The new edition of It's Your Town newsletter has been published and ready for reading and covers what happened during the Middletown Township NJ monthly Committee meeting of June 20th, 2011.
besides there being a presentation of the Township Solar Project by Birdsall Engineering and a public hearing on theTownship's ADA compliance plan,the newsletter tells about the very large crowd of concerned citizens that attended the meeting to express concerns about the Methadone Clinic that opened on Rt. 35 at Apple Farm Rd.
As reported here and at other websites the meeting was overflowing with residents from the the Applebrook and TwinBrook neighborhood that are effected by the methadone clinic being so close to their homes. At times the meeting became very loud boisterous and contentious. Residents found it hard to believe that they were being told the true about the clinic and the process that enabled it to open at the current location.
You can read all about it HERE in the newsletter.
As an added bonus for your listening pleasure I have an audio clip from that night that features resident Patricia E. Corridon, who spoke to the committee about the opening of the Middletown Methadone clinic. She said she did not feel a great deal of trust in the Committee who were elected to protect their citizens. She said everything from a broken toenail to a cell tower is aired in Middletown. She said it is hard to believe when they say they knew nothing about this and were blindsided. She said for them to say they will be protected but then turn Apple Farm Rd. into a police state is not what is wanted. She said the Committee does not have the pleasure of plausible deniability.
Ms. Corridon was interrupted midway through her comments by Tony Fiore who sounded arrogant, exasperated and helpless in the wake of all the criticism being leveled against himself and others who's job it was to know about this before the clinic opened at the only entrance into or out of a residential neighborhood
besides there being a presentation of the Township Solar Project by Birdsall Engineering and a public hearing on theTownship's ADA compliance plan,the newsletter tells about the very large crowd of concerned citizens that attended the meeting to express concerns about the Methadone Clinic that opened on Rt. 35 at Apple Farm Rd.
As reported here and at other websites the meeting was overflowing with residents from the the Applebrook and TwinBrook neighborhood that are effected by the methadone clinic being so close to their homes. At times the meeting became very loud boisterous and contentious. Residents found it hard to believe that they were being told the true about the clinic and the process that enabled it to open at the current location.
You can read all about it HERE in the newsletter.
As an added bonus for your listening pleasure I have an audio clip from that night that features resident Patricia E. Corridon, who spoke to the committee about the opening of the Middletown Methadone clinic. She said she did not feel a great deal of trust in the Committee who were elected to protect their citizens. She said everything from a broken toenail to a cell tower is aired in Middletown. She said it is hard to believe when they say they knew nothing about this and were blindsided. She said for them to say they will be protected but then turn Apple Farm Rd. into a police state is not what is wanted. She said the Committee does not have the pleasure of plausible deniability.
Ms. Corridon was interrupted midway through her comments by Tony Fiore who sounded arrogant, exasperated and helpless in the wake of all the criticism being leveled against himself and others who's job it was to know about this before the clinic opened at the only entrance into or out of a residential neighborhood
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