District seeks $125,000 to add to facilities trust to buy leased solar array

Warrant Article 6 would add $125,000 to the district's Facilities Development, Maintenance, and Replacement expendable trust fund to enable purchase of an existing leased solar array mounted on district property. The article was moved to the March 11 ballot after discussion at the deliberative session.

Presenter Gianna Jelsey explained the panels were purchased under a $1,102,447 initiative that became operational in January 2022 through revision financing. The district's estimated lease buyout at the end of a six‑year lease period was presented as approximately $661,468. As of January 2025, the trust fund balance was cited as $316,520; presenters said the district had paid roughly $161,561 in energy‑production payments to the vendor to date. The board's rationale is that purchasing the array would allow future energy‑production value to accrue to the district rather than to the vendor; at the time of the original estimate the 25‑year net savings were presented as approximately $1,020,000, though the presenters said current savings estimates are likely higher given rising energy costs.

Resident Patrick Napier asked for more voter‑facing information about the investment's expected return; presenters agreed to publish additional explanatory material on the district website and consider placing the topic on a future board meeting agenda. Moderator Michael Williams called a show‑of‑cards vote; Article 6 was moved to the ballot.