Monday, August 03, 2009

Performance contracting may get its day in court

A few days ago, the Council received the following email (unedited) from Councilman Matt Altieri:

Hello Fellow Council Members

I wanted to let all of you know that I have been doing some extensive research on how we can bring a possible ESCO to our town to do an energy review and possible performance based contract. I have spoken to municipal officials and someone who consults in the business as well as watched a Webinar that focused on how to use stimulus funds to leverage energy savings. Full disclosure here I did speak with Christopher F. Halpin, P.E., C.E.P who is President of Celtic energy. I watched his Webinar last week and then called him and spoke with him for about 30 minutes. I was able to obtain information about the process-not an easy one to put together but doable over a few months period of time. There are many issues that need to be resolved in terms of process and especially in the area of how the financing will be addressed in regard to our town charter. I did discuss this with the Town Manager and we did begin to list out the issues that may need to be resolved.

It would take too long to explain the process in one email but suffice it to say it has taken me many months of research and phone calls but I think I have a process in mind that I would like to discuss at the next council meeting and get some feedback from all of you as to how to proceed. It is a fairly complex process that will involve town hall staff, our town attorney as well as our Energy Commission. I have put a call in to Rich Orgurick to discuss at the next Energy Commission meeting but he has not yet returned my call. I am sure I will hear from him soon on this issue. When he does I think that commission may be a good starting point. I will let you know the rest of the details next week at the council meeting.

Best
Matt Altieri


I think this is great, if he is serious. Some may call me cynical, but this does give me pause... wondering if it's just election year gimmickry? After all, such attention was promised two years ago.

Regardless, I'm glad to have someone at least discussing PC as a possibility. And in defense of my Council colleague, as I've said before... he does work. I just hope that the voters see our Honorary Mayor wannabee, Councilman Truth, for the effort - or lack thereof - he puts into the job. Not that I want to be on the losing side of a vote, but I'm ok with it. What really troubles me is indifference.

Three months and counting....

Tim White

p.s. I'll probably do a timeline of the inaction on performance contracting later this week.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd say it's just election year gimmickry.

Anonymous said...

It is funny how he says it took months of work but "now" he is ready to make a presentation to the council, just week after the canidates are announced.
I am sure it will be dragged out through the election to try and show that he is trying to "green" Cheshire and save money, but right after the elections they will come up with a reason why it won't work.
TOTALLY AN ELECTION GIMMICK!
You can't trust him.

Tim White said...

actually, my guess is that he realizes he stepped into it when we discussed the building assessment consultant. You may recall he tried to publicly chastise me... to which I explained that he didn't know what he was talking about... then laid the blame for the inaction at the feet of Councilman Truth.

Councilman Truth didn't say a thing... basically acknowledging I was 100% right and he and Altieri were wrong.

In turn, Altieri has realized that Councilman Truth threw him under the bus that night... and he's decided to go it alone because Councilman Truth won't do a thing.

So now after years of procrastinating (driven by The Boss), Altieri wants to:

1) do some damage control;
2) realizes there is merit to PC; and
3) wants to get reelected.

So in a rare show of leadership... he's actually telling Town Hall that they're obstructionism will no longer be tolerated. (I doubt Altieri sees it as Town Hall obstructionism. But that's how I view the intentional inaction of Town Hall. And oh, btw, why did The Boss ask the former town attorney to opine on PC? My guess is because he knew the former Town Atty didn't like it... and The Boss was uncertain if the current town atty would like or dislike it... so think about it... ask the person you know will make your case for you!)

So I think Altieri is actually open to the idea. It's just that he has not yet been told by The Boss that he's not supposed to be doing this. Of course, The Boss won't actually say that. He'll just throw up straw man after straw man... just like happened with the videostreaming.

I dunno what'll happen with it.

My guess is that after the election is over, the TM will look for five votes to kill anything that could possibly impact that ridiculous bond rating.

Tim White said...

It's all about the bond rating.

Ask yourself:

What benefits, and who benefits, from the bond rating upgrade?

Breachway said...

I think at this point you have to give him the benefit of the doubt and use the opportunity to push this thru

Anonymous said...

Do you honestly think it will get pushed through with this current majority?
If, by some miracle, they retain the majority then it has even less chance at getting pushed through.
I agree, lets let him put it out there for all to see, but I am sure they will find reasons why it won't work for us.
Still think is is political posturing.