Reading Energy Board reviews MERP grant shortfall, reprioritizes library, firehouse, town-hall and community projects

At its Nov. 20 meeting, the Reading Energy Board reviewed detailed accounting of MERP grant funds and agreed to prioritize insulation, fuel switching and targeted HVAC and lighting work after members learned the award and higher material costs left some projects underfunded, board members said.

Board member Brian Cali said he and board member Martha Harrison compiled a per-building spreadsheet that shows the award came in about $30,000 less than a prior CX recommendation and that inflation since earlier estimates means “not all the projects that were identified will happen,” by which he meant the board will not be able to fund every originally planned item. He added, “When it is all said and done, things will be better than they used to be.”

Martha Harrison said the board’s top MERP priorities are insulation and fuel switching and clarified that the award allows up to 20% of funds to be used for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements but that the board cannot exceed that 20% cap. “We can spend up to 20% of the funds on ADA improvements,” she said, and urged that ADA work be considered but not exceed the statutory limit in the grant terms.

Project manager and board member Bill Neukomm described how soft-cost savings he identified are being reallocated to cover engineering and architecture work for the library and firehouse. He said mini-split installations planned for the food shelf and town hall will consume most of the remaining MERP dollars and will affect first-floor lighting and ADA priorities at town hall.

The board discussed specific budget numbers reported in the accounting: a $45,000 battery for the firehouse was removed from the scope due to its cost and lower priority; an overall net shortfall is currently about $4,000 after identified savings and overruns; work on the food shelf and electrical-panel upgrades produced roughly a $10,000 overage offset by about $7,000 in savings, leaving a $3,000 deficit. Robinson Hall HVAC bids are about $3,000 over budget while attic insulation and air sealing came in about $1,000 under budget; lighting for Robinson Hall’s first floor is budgeted at $4,700, which the board identified as a potential way to cover the remaining shortfall if approved.

At the library, Brian reported MERP spending has paid for architecture, engineering and permitting for an attic-floor project; he is acting as general contractor and said there is concern about material and labor costs and that no HVAC quote is yet available. Brian said he is using $8,000 as a placeholder to upgrade and relocate the building’s electrical panel to 200 amps. He also discussed potential ADA path and lift work and noted discussions with a colleague about walkway and lift access.

On the firehouse, Brian said a kickoff meeting with the consultant set clear priorities and that an air-to-hot-water heat-pump system is not feasible now; the consultant and board favored air-to-air heat pumps and targeting the meeting room to limit costs. The board also identified make-up air for negative-pressure areas and fresh-air ventilation as higher priorities than additional attic insulation. The previously planned battery was cut because of cost and priority trade-offs.

Board members discussed next steps: Brian will meet with state agency contacts on Dec. 3 to explore a possible second-floor lift at Robinson Hall; the board will continue to monitor incoming quotes and adjust priorities and spending to stay within the grant constraints. The meeting record lists no new formal action items arising from the discussion.

In routine business, the board recorded a motion to approve the October minutes (moved by board member Bill Neukomm and seconded by Kevin Kaija); the transcript records that board member Brian Cali approved but does not provide a complete roll-call tally. The board set its next meeting for Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom and adjourned at 8:21 p.m.