The Morongo Unified School District Board of Education stuck to its timeline and finalized an agreement with its selected solar contractor at its meeting last night. Reporter Dan Stork tells what comes next…
At the Morongo Unified School District Board of Education meeting, the Board heard a recap of the process for selecting a vendor for the solar energy generation project, conducted a brief public hearing, and unanimously approved a master solar power services agreement between NextEra Energy Resources and the District. The project will be implemented in three overlapping phases, with five school sites in each phase. The schedule calls for installation to be completed at all sites between early September and late October of 2015.
During public comment, a representative of NextEra, Matt LeDuke, responded to questions from Board member Karalee Hargrove:
Why wasn’t NextEra represented at the October 21 Board meeting? (All hands were busy at a big industry trade show.)
Will NextEra hire local labor? (Answer: Yes. Immediately after the meeting, a local electrical contractor starting making a case for his services to NextEra reps in attendance.)
NextEra has less school experience than some competing vendors. (LeDuke cited NextEra school projects in and out of California.)
Will NextEra use USA-made components? (LeDuke said that at this point, domestic manufacturers of solar panels are less stable than some foreign suppliers, but if the District wants domestic components, NextEra will accommodate.)
In other business, the Board approved revised policies on complaint procedures, non-discrimination and harassment, and sexual harassment, but held over a policy on bullying for closer reading.
During public comment, Dolores Lawless noted that the Howard Jarvis Foundation supports AB 2372, a measure intended to close a loophole in Prop 13 property assessment procedures that some corporations have used to avoid real estate tax increases. At its last meeting, the Board declined to endorse the measure.
