Posted: 4/25/06
County may get clean energy funds
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
The county may take advantage of an opportunity to bond a portion of the estimated $16 million criminal justice center at zero percent interest.
At its meeting of April 18, the board heard from Aaron Rittenhouse of Johnson Controls, who explained that by financing a portion of the project with Clean and Renewable Energy Bonds (CREB), the county can avoid paying interest on plumbing, electrical, mechanical and technology aspects of the building. The bond issue is not to exceed 37.5 percent of the total project; on a $16 million project, that amount is $6 million.
The approach was developed by the U.S. Green Building Councilís Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
Rittenhouse told commissioners that the next phase of the application process is to complete an engineering and financial analysis. Johnson Controls will perform the analysis at no cost to the county. However, if the company develops a project with a 15-year payback and the county decides not to have Johnson Controls implement the project, the county must reimburse Johnson Controls up to $100,000. If Johnson Controls is unable to develop a program with a 15-year payback, the county will owe nothing.
Applications for the bonds are due to the Internal Revenue Service by April 26. The awards will be made June 15. According to Rittenhouse, there is $500,000 million available and the awards will be made from lowest to highest. He said it would be helpful to have elected officials on the national level write a letter in support of the countyís application.
The county has until the end of May to withdraw its application if it chooses. If the countyís application is successful, it has until December 31, 2007, to use or return the allocation.
A second related item is an application that the county approved is for $2 million in CREB funds to be used to help finance a wind farm in western Minnesota. County bond proceeds would be combined with those from other governmental units to help finance a wind turbine, and revenue from the sale of the power generated by the turbine would be split between the contributing entities.
The county passed both resolutions unanimously.
In a related matter, the commissioners agreed that they would begin interviewing construction managers for the CJC project beginning at 10 a.m. on May 2. The board currently has six firms that expressed interest in the job.
In other business, Sheriff Darryl Peterson asked commissioners to increase the pay for jury attendants, formerly known as bailiffs, from $40 per day to $50 per day if they are excused before 6 p.m. and $75 per day if they work beyond 6 p.m. So far this year, jury attendant pay has reached $1,280. In 2005, the total pay for the year was $920.
At the human services meeting that followed the regular meeting of the county board, financial services supervisor Bonnie Goetzinger requested an increase in the fee for registering as a child care provider from $5 to $50.
Goetzinger explained that currently, there are registered and licensed day care operators. The county performs background checks and home inspections on people interested in becoming licensed care providers, and the providers pay an initial fee of $250 and a renewal fee of $150 after one year. After the first year, renewals are required every two years. For those interested in being registered, only a background check is done. Generally, said Goetzinger, those are people who perform child care on a limited basis, often just for family. However, many people who become registered never begin to do child care and the county has invested some time in getting them registered.
The board approved the request.
Also at the human services meeting, it was mentioned that the National Youth Sports Program in which about 30 young people from the county participated last year, is no longer available due to a lack of funding. Other options are being explored to give the young people an opportunity for constructive activities during the summer months.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com