Carlisle School District

Carlisle sewer plant may go green

Carlisle Borough Council is putting its money behind its promise of pursuing environmentally friendly policies.

At its meeting Thursday night, council approved a $6,000 appropriation from the sewer reserve fund to retain EMCOR Energy Services to evaluate the feasibility of solar panels at the borough's sewer plant.

EMCOR Energy Services is the same company that worked with the Carlisle Area School District on its solar array.

The $6,000 covers phase one, which will include whether federal grants are available to help defray the costs.

The second phase, which will cost $23,000, must be approved by Borough Council separately after the feasibility study determines whether the project is, in fact, feasible.

Borough Manager Steve Hietsch initially suggested that council approve both phases - feasibility and enough of a physical start to qualify for what he described as "safe harbor" - because there is a tight time line on the project.

Safe harbor status would be enough to qualify the borough for a grant, Hietsch said, but it has to be done by Dec. 31, 2011.

Time crunch

Councilman Tim Scott pointed out that the borough calls special meetings to deal with time-sensitive issues "all the time" and doing so for such a large undertaking as a solar project would not be a problem.

Council President Linda Cecconello asked borough solicitor Ed Schorpp how much notice needs to be given for a special council meeting and he said 24 hours.

Hietsch said the project, which will cost "several million" dollars, will save the borough between $100,000 and $120,000 per year, even after the debt service.

To pay for the project, the borough will have to assume a 20-year bond. However, the solar panels are guaranteed for 25 years.

Hietsch stressed that the borough is not committing to the several-million-dollar cost of the panels right now.

Schorpp suggested that council commit to the feasibility study first and then see where that leads before committing to phase two, which involves physical construction.

Council Perry Heath said that a "$6,000 risk for a potential $100,000 gain, and also our commitment to going green," seemed like a good idea.

Council asked Mike Keiser, head of public works, how much electricity bills run at the sewer plant. He said he thought "about $200,000."

Hietsch jumped in and said it was "closer to $270,000.

Carlisle Area School District's mowing chores outsourced to sheep ...

Sheep are taking over some of Carlisle Area School District groundskeeping chores.

They are saving the district up to $15,000 a year and cutting local air pollution.

Not baaaad.

Instead of workers spending six hours a week mowing and trimming near solar panels, sheep have moved in for the summer. They nibble grass and weeds each morning and laze under panels during hot afternoons.

“Right now, we’re testing how many sheep the solar area can maintain. ... It looks like the grass is still growing, so I’m going to have to bring in more,” said Eric Sands, the animals’ owner.

Carlisle wasn’t aware of other districts putting grazing animals to work. But it might catch on.

Dan Ludwig is a grazing specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service based in Lebanon County. He said leasing animals for grazing on swaths of government and private land is a growing business.

“It’s gaining popularity, especially in orchards,” he said.

The grazing area must be fenced — Carlisle had fenced in its solar fields — but the payoffs usually outweigh that expense.

Carlisle’s only cost is keeping the sheep supplied with fresh water.

And the district didn’t have to recruit the animals.

Sands is the assistant principal at Wilson Middle School in the district. He’s also the owner, with wife Tracy, of the Wooly Wonders Sheep and Fiber farm in Dickinson Twp. The couple have a mixed herd of 30 to 35 registered, natural-color, long-wool and black Romney sheep. 

Goats provide the same kind of services and can be used to mow weedy areas. I believe they will eat thistles and broadleaf weeds. I am not sure if sheep will eat these plants. Mechanicsburg School District may want to explore hiring goats for their areas. A couple of years ago there was an article in the newspapers (I don't remember which) about a woman who manages goats and hires them out for mowing steep banks along roads, etc.

Annual report - Auditor of State

Annual report of the Auditor of State to the ... General Assembly

Annual report

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A digest of the laws of Pennsylvania, from the year one thousand seven hundred to the tenth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two