NEVC gets started with projects

On the verge of finishing a project it began almost a year ago, Northeast Vernon County School District has obtained funding to upgrade lighting, replace thermostats and refurbish windows in its 80-plus year-old buildings at Schell City and Walker.

Superintendent Charles Naas said last week that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources had approved NEVC's application for a $171,500 loan at 2 percent interest with a 10-year amortization.

Reporting that Energy Solutions Professionals Marketing Director Tim O'Kane of Overland Park, Kan., had helped him write the 20-page application, Naas said, "The MDNR program known as Energize Missouri Schools and Local Governments will provide the financial vehicle for us to initiate our plan of making energy efficiency upgrades to the physical buildings of the district."

Citing high utility costs, uneven heating and cooling and other problems, the NEVC School Board in February 2011 began consideration of the improvements and invited O'Kane to offer ideas.

O'Kane suggested financing the work through an innovative plan to repay the cost with energy savings; however, that fell through late in the year when Kansas City area financial institutions declined to participate.Naas reported in November that the MDNR had approved the application, subject to federal concurrence.

Noting that the roofing segment had been deleted, he said area roofer Brandon Garwood had begun preventive work in Walker while Larry Applegate and David Souza provided labor at no cost to replace 10 windows.