Warrensburg reviews $3.8 million facility audit; solar project awaits utility sign-off

Warrensburg city leaders on June 22 received a facility-grade energy audit and multi-phase project proposal from Schneider Electric that outlines upgrades to solar, HVAC, lighting, water fixtures and building controls across city-owned properties.

City Manager Schrage introduced Peter Hinkle, Midwest Sales Team Leader for Schneider Electric's Sustainability Business, who said the audit aims to improve efficiency, increase usable space and lower long-term operating costs. Hinkle said the city’s solar installation that began in September 2025 is “generally completed” but remains offline pending third-party utility approval; he added that the warranty for the solar array “begins at substantial completion” when the panels are accepted on the grid and the required paperwork is signed.

Hinkle presented a three-phase approach: one project already finished, a Phase 2 focused on city facilities and parks, and a Phase 3 for remodel work. Phase 2 city-facilities pricing was listed at $2,231,327 and Phase 2 parks work at $1,546,299; the combined estimate across the three scopes Hinkle presented totaled $3,795,626. Schneider Electric also proposed a capital-planning platform to track asset age and replacement timing across facilities; Hinkle recommended replacing the units flagged in red on the inventory analysis and moving to a rolling replacement schedule.

On scheduling, Hinkle outlined typical lead times and work windows: equipment lead times of roughly 8–12 weeks, with construction, commissioning and punch-list work extending the project timeline to an overall 12–16 months. He told council the proposal will be formalized in August as a contract to be signed, and that Schneider Electric is engaging Piper Sandler to model financing options.

Councilmembers pressed on details and trade-offs. Councilmember Ridenhour asked whether radon had been considered in the assessment; Hinkle said radon had not been part of the initial engagement but he would check with his team and report back in August. Councilmember Jones asked about phasing across fiscal years given the scale of the estimates; Schrage said staff would try to incorporate feedback into upcoming budget discussions and the July budget retreat.

Hinkle said Schneider Electric would pursue custom incentives with Evergy to offset costs and that rebate assumptions in the current estimate are zero pending negotiation. The presentation included an $18,000 predesign scope for Municipal Court/City Hall remodel options (targeted renovation or comprehensive retrofit) with deliverables expected in 30–45 days to support a later full-design decision.

Council did not take formal action on the audit package at the June 22 meeting; Hinkle will return with refined documents and financing models for council consideration in August. The budget retreat and additional council budget work sessions in July are the next scheduled steps for staff to consider how, and whether, to phase these projects into the FY27 capital plan.