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Roxbury Village School Committee assigns energy, fuel review as heating costs climb
Summary
Committee members assigned a team to investigate fuel and energy-efficiency options after hearing that the building uses roughly 100 gallons of fuel a week and recent heating bills and per‑gallon prices have risen; the group also flagged a roughly $5,500 surveying expense likely to fall in FY27.
Roxbury Village School Committee members on June 10 tasked a small team to investigate energy and fuel options for the school building after members raised concerns about rising heating costs and upcoming capital needs.
Heidi Albright, reporting the finance status, said a "testing" deposit has been paid to Button Professionals for surveying required for BRELLA enrollment and that the actual survey work will likely cost about $5,500 and fall in fiscal year 2027. She also called attention to recurring operating costs including a $200-per-10-days mowing contract and a recent heating-fuel bill of nearly $800.
"'Testing' in June is the deposit paid to Button Professionals who were contracted by the Town to complete the surveying needed as part of our BRELLA enrollment," Albright said. She noted that an additional ~$5,500 will be required for the survey itself and that some expenses will carry into FY27.
Committee member Bob Ketchel told colleagues the building consumes about 100 gallons of fuel per week, a figure members said makes finding lower-cost purchasing options and fuel-efficiency improvements a priority. Committee discussion cited the town's contract pricing for other buildings: the RFD pays $2.38 per gallon under a town contract while the committee is currently paying more than $4 per gallon.
The committee added an energy/fuel investigative task to the workplan, assigning Bob Ketchel, Tom Frazier, Kristen Getler and (per public comment) Energy Commissioner Nick Laskovski to pursue options such as alternate fuels, improved heat‑pump controls and insulation improvements. Members emphasized that an energy-efficiency specialist could help compare trade-offs — including whether converting from oil to high-efficiency propane or other fuels would be cost-effective.
Tom Frazier also urged better communication with the Selectboard so the committee can track what the Selectboard spends from the building budget (currently part of the town General Fund but earmarked for RVS). The committee discussed creating a standard financial-reporting template and a decision-making chain for contracts and spending approvals.
Next steps identified at the meeting include gathering real-time cost data, obtaining firm quotes for the surveying work, and developing a short list of efficiency improvements and procurement options for Selectboard review.
