Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy And Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenter urges Canajoharie schools to make energy manager role permanent as district advances electric bus and solar projects
Summary
A resident told the board the district should make its grant-funded energy manager position permanent, citing energy savings, educational benefits and grants that brought an electric bus and charging stations. A visiting state senator warned that EV bus technology and infrastructure still present operational challenges.
Caroline Himmans urged the Canajoharie Central School District board to make the district's grant-funded energy manager position permanent, saying the staff member known as Grant has delivered measurable savings, classroom instruction on conservation and several successful grant applications.
"When you look at the savings, the educational opportunities and the grants he has helped bring in, it really shows the long term value of having someone dedicated to this work," Himmans told the board during public comment.
The board heard that work has supported projects including thermal and solar initiatives and helped the district receive an electric school bus and related charging stations. Himmans asked the board to consider the continuity of that work if the position remains tied to grant funding.
Later in the meeting a visiting state senator (introduced to the board as Center Faygie) praised the district's energy investments but cautioned that zero-emission school-bus technology and supporting infrastructure are not yet uniformly reliable in upstate conditions. The senator said buses in other districts have been sidelined during extreme cold and that chargers and fire-suppression, facility and grid upgrades make rapid mandatory fleet shifts challenging.
"The technology has not been there," the senator said, urging a coordinated local advocacy and careful planning approach rather than premature commitments that could leave districts without reliable transportation.
Board and district officials present did not vote on staffing changes during the meeting. The topic of the energy manager position and longer-term transportation planning were discussed as part of budget and capital planning conversations; the board scheduled related propositions and capital project language for the May 7 budget hearing.
Next steps: the board will include capital and bus-related propositions in the May 7 budget hearing materials and continue receiving updates on energy projects and their operational implications.
