County schools partner with other districts to hire part-time energy manager

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette/ WBRT Radio

Tuesday, July 19, 2016, 9 p.m. — The Nelson County Board of Education agreed Tuesday to join a consortium of schools working together in order to hire the services of a district energy manager.

Tim Hockensmith, the district’s chief operating officer, reviews the district’s agreement to hire an energy manager in conjunction with four other school districts during Tuesday’s meeting of the Nelson County Board of Education.

Tim Hockensmith, the district’s chief financial officer, told the board members that after the district’s part-time energy manager left earlier this year, it now has an opportunity to join several other districts in order to hire a single, full-time energy manager who will serve each district.

Nelson County will join Henry and Trimble County Schools, Eminence Independent and Anchorage Independent Schools and share the energy manager’s services. The person filling the position will work for Nelson County two days a week.

The Kentucky School Board Association helped facilitate the agreement, Hockensmith said.

If the district isn’t happy with the arrangement, it can withdraw. The cost to the district is the same as the district paid last year, he said.

In other action the board:

— approved an application for matching grant funds available to districts for work on energy savings projects — similar to those the district has already undertaken at several schools. The district has applied for the maximum amount; the minimum grant would be $10,000.

— approved the agreement for the the district to provide special education services to Central Kentucky Head Start program.

— approved the 2016-17 instructional fees.

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