BOE considers Milan landfill solar project

PINE PLAINS— The Pine Plains Board of Education (BOE) discussed the district’s upcoming energy performance project as well as the town of Milan’s capped landfill solar project during its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Held in the Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School library, all BOE members were in attendance.

Superintendent of Schools Martin Handler brought the landfill solar project up for discussion. While he didn’t need an immediate decision, he said he wanted to keep the BOE informed of what the town of Milan has in mind.

Because the landfill property off South Road is no longer being used, the town approached the BOE to explain its intent in marking the area to solar developers. After paying a lease on the land to the town, the developers would put up solar panels on the landfill to generate energy. The energy would be shared among multiple utility customers and allow residents to share the benefits of solar power, even if they can’t or prefer not to install solar panels on their property.

Since the land itself is exempt from taxes, Handler said the town would like to have the solar panels exempt from taxes as well. Because the configuration for the solar panels won’t be permanently affixed, the town believes the panels shouldn’t be subject to taxes. Since Milan and Pine Plains residents pay taxes to the Pine Plains school district, Milan town Supervisor William Gallagher said the town wanted to make sure resident won’t be charged a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT).

Handler said the main question to consider is whether the BOE wants to insist on a PILOT payment on the solar panels. If the BOE decides to waive the payment, he said it would be easier for the town to mark the project for potential developers.

“I’m just putting it out there now so you can have the time to ask any questions,” Handler said.

The BOE decided to hold off on making a decision and conduct more research on the project since it’s still in the early stages of discussion; the topic will reappear on the agenda next month.

Transitioning the discussion to the district’s energy performance contract project, Handler said the district was anticipating the start of a couple key project elements next year. The district plans to replace all of the interior lights in all three school buildings with LED lighting, which will save a great deal of electricity and money. The district aims to replace the lighting in the Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School building in January before moving on to the Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center and Cold Spring Early Learning Center (ELC) buildings in February.

The second major project goal focuses on changing the boilers at Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School and Cold Spring ELC from using oil to propane gas. Along with saving more money, this switch will be much more efficient for the district to operate. Handler reported that the boiler work will begin next spring.

While the majority of temperature controls in the district’s classrooms, offices and facilities are digital, the district intends to replace the remaining pneumatic controls with digital ones, which will provide more control over the temperature in the high school building. All new controls will be installed at Cold Spring ELC and all replacements in the high school and elementary school buildings will take place next spring.

Come late November, the district plans to install solar panels by the entrance driveway to the high school. The panels will supply 85 to 95 percent of energy used at the junior/senior high school, and the district currently expects to finish installation by next spring.