Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Ball Chatham board authorizes surplus disposal and approves utility broker agreement
Loading...
Summary
The board authorized disposal of long-stored district items and approved using Stone River Group to broker energy contracts for natural gas across six schools and electric for Ball Elementary, with staff directed to seek favorable term lengths based on market conditions.
The Ball Chatham CUSD 5 Board of Education authorized district staff to continue a districtwide disposal of long-stored materials and approved pursuing an agreement with Stone River Group, a utility broker the district has used previously.
Kester introduced the surplus disposal plan, saying custodial and maintenance staffs have filled dumpsters at several schools and will continue removing decades-old materials that no longer serve instructional purposes. He emphasized that nothing currently slated for disposal meets the district's stated $10,000 market-value threshold and asked the board to authorize disposal so staff would not have to return to the board each time a dumpster is filled.
Kester also recommended entering an agreement with Stone River Group to seek competitive rates for natural gas at six district schools and for electric service at Ball Elementary (the district uses different local electric providers across sites). He said the firm had saved the district money on past natural-gas agreements and that available contract terms vary widely (roughly 10 to 48 months). "We're asking for permission to enter into agreement with the Stone River Group who's a utility broker," Kester said, noting staff will choose term lengths and fixed/variable components based on market conditions.
Board members asked about contract length and flexibility; Kester said staff would seek terms that allow renegotiation when market conditions improve, and that preliminary analysis suggested a likely 24-month electric term in current conditions. The board moved and approved both recommendations by voice vote.
The board's approvals allow staff to proceed with procurement and to manage routine disposal under district disposal standards; staff will return with specific contract terms and final cost estimates when those are available.
