COMMITTEE ON Energy & Economic Development
MINUTES: September 14, 2004*
MEMBERS: Chair: M. Rogowsky Legislators: G. Oros; C. Young
IN ATTENDANCE: BOL STAFF: S. Kirkpatrick, A. Ettere, T. Bernard; CEO: Sal Carerra, Bill Randolph. DPW: John Hsu. NYPA: Charles Collado, Maribel Cruz, Lucy Labruzzo. OTHERS: E. Sussman;
TOPIC: Energy Efficiency Project with NYPA at the Bureau of Purchase & Supply Building, Valhalla Campus
DISCUSSION:
Chair Rogowsky called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m. and introduced the representatives of NYPA, Sal Carerra and John Hsu.
The building will be converted to a fully occupied homeless shelter, operated 24/7. The structure will consolidate family housing currently leased in Yorktown and the drop-in center and trailers at the airport. The facilities will be operated by Volunteers of America (VOA).
It is not possible to perform an energy audit on an empty building because there is no base line to compare past usage with potential savings. Therefore, the NYPA consultants reviewed drawings from the VOA and compared options for various components that offered energy efficiency and savings. For example, the steam absorption chiller has the best savings payback of 7 years. This project will cost the county one-half of the total $2.146M cost since 50% will be paid back through DSS.
VOA anticipates the facilities will be occupied by 12/05 since the contracts have been signed and construction will start in about 2 weeks. There have a lot of meetings and attempts to coordinate the efforts.
The BOL approved a contact with NYPA to perform energy audits and appraisals. If the County uses their recommendations and hires them to do work, we do not have to pay for their expertise.
The additional $2.5M project on the Valhalla campus is not just for this building, but includes primarily general infrastructure improvements needed for the entire campus. For example, a new Con Ed feeder cable and gas lines will serve the existing and future structures. The Food Patch will be moving to the campus and an RFP has gone out for a sports complex on the “north 40” that had previously been the site of a proposed biotech facility.
Legis. Rogowsky asked Mr. Carerra to keep the Board of Legislators up-to-date on economic plans in the future.
Mr. Hsu reviewed materials he brought on two waste water treatment projects. The Ossining aeration project has been sent out for bid and will come to the BOL for approval soon.
The Yonkers Waste Water Treatment Plant proposal is about 6 months away. Ms. Cruz described the reasoning behind the selection of the external pump (selection 2a) as the most energy efficient and effective of the processes. The payback is 25 years but the work had to be done anyway so the evaluation process will be beneficial. The total cost will be a total of approx. $6.5M.
Westchester Co., NYPA and DEF have developed a list of contractors that have proven to be responsible. WICKS law does not apply to NYPA projects.
There are a number of projects in the works with NYPA. The bus garage is the next project. FTA funds are being sought by Commissioner Salley.
The meeting adjourned at 10:45 pm.
*There was no quorum at this meeting; therefore, the committee took no action on these items.
Text: 
Print:
