Bixby Board approves $2.4 million energy‑conservation agreement with vendor to reduce district utility costs

Bixby — The Bixby Board of Education voted Sept. 12 to approve two agreements with Impact Services to implement a districtwide energy‑conservation performance contract, including a service contract and a lease‑purchase financing agreement.

The proposals presented by Impact Services — whose presenter at the meeting was identified as Wes — call for controls upgrades, humidity management, and a campus optimization system across the district’s buildings. The vendor said the total project cost is about $2,400,000 and presented two savings scenarios. "The committed is about an A minus level — $565,000," Wes said during the presentation, adding that the vendor’s analysis targets a roughly 5½‑ to 6‑year payback under the committed savings assumption.

The company described a technical approach that emphasizes reducing humidity during low‑cost overnight hours to lessen mechanical strain and to lower peak demand charges. Wes said the agreement includes a quarterly true‑up: if measured savings fall below the vendor’s guaranteed quarterly payment, Impact Services will write a check to cover the shortfall. "If your savings doesn't cover that, we write you a check for the difference every quarter," Wes told the board.

Gabe, the district’s facilities director, told trustees the program addressed longstanding humidity issues in some schools and that centralizing control on a single platform could accelerate improvements that would otherwise take years and significant capital to accomplish. "We were far behind on where we need to be as far as getting our controllers in place," Gabe said, noting staff had reviewed the proposed platform and supported moving forward.

Trustees questioned how the measures would perform in winter, ownership of installed controllers, and local support. The vendor said the district would own installed controllers and that Impact Services retains regional service staff. In response to a question about winter humidity and energy performance, Wes explained the company’s approach to optimizing each room’s ramp times and timing start‑up to avoid extremes.

Board President recorded a roll‑call vote approving both the service contract and the lease‑purchase agreement; all trustees voted aye. The board also discussed returning later to evaluate application of the same program to newly completed buildings, including the high school academic building.

The contract files and financing terms were provided to trustees at the meeting for review; the vendor supplied a one‑page savings handout and references from other districts that have implemented similar projects.

What’s next: The district will finalize contract paperwork and the vendor indicated construction work could conclude in a matter of months, with an initial savings measurement period beginning after installation. The board indicated it may ask for additional follow‑up reports once the program begins generating utility data.