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Perkasie council wants to stop spinning its wheels on wind turbine
May 18, 2010
Photo by Ken Zepp
By Erin DuBois
Staff Writer
Perkasie’s wind turbine, placed proudly in Lenape Park in 2006, has become more of an eyesore than a landmark in recent years, according to Perkasie Borough Councilman Matt Aigeldinger.
“It doesn’t move even on the windiest of days,” Councilman Matthew Aigeldinger said at the May 17 council meeting. “It’s a bit of a joke.”
Aigeldinger suggested the borough look into ways to donate the wind turbine to a school in the borough or find some way to make it educational, and several on council agreed.
Perkasie was awarded the 35-foot, 1.8 kW turbine through the Small-Scale Community Wind Project, which Gov. Rendell revived after a lengthy dormant period.
The project, overseen by the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, awarded turbines to 15 municipalities, public authorities and school districts. A $193,000 grant allowed Southwest Windpower to place the turbines in highly-visible locations, covering the cost both of the turbine and basic installation.
The turbine is valued at $10,000 and is capable of generating 1.8 kilowatts of electricity. The Lenape Park site was chosen because it is the most visible, if not the windiest, location. Although any energy produced goes back into the borough’s grid, the turbine’s primary purpose is educational.
Borough Manager Daniel Olpere called the turbine a “demonstration project,” since it is intended as a tool to teach students and the community at large about the potential of wind as an alternate energy source.
Perkasie is not the only grant-recipient disappointed with a malfunctioning turbine.
“The state is looking into a problem with the entire grant,” Andrea Coaxum, assistant borough manager, said. “The installation company may not have done as good a job as the governor hoped.”
In the meantime, the borough is investigating ways to fix the turbine and to increase its educational value, Coaxum said.
Councilman Christopher Nicolosi has volunteered to coordinate the construction of a storyboard explaining the significance of the turbine and providing information on wind energy. No other grant recipient has made a storyboard, and the state is eager to see Perkasie’s, Coaxum said.
Coaxum is exploring grants to assist with completing the storyboard.
“I don’t want [the turbine] sitting there without some explanation of what it is,” Olpere said.
Aigeldinger suggested donating the turbine to a local elementary school.
If a student learns about wind energy or is inspired to become an engineer, then council will have done something very positive with the turbine, Aigeldinger said.
The turbine could also be donated to the Upper Bucks Vo-Tech so that the students could maintain it, Councilman James Purcell said.
While council members were open to Aigeldinger and Purcell’s suggestions, Councilwoman Maria Slowik requested more info on the terms and conditions of the grant to see if it would allow moving it.
In other matters at the May 17 Perkasie Borough Council meeting:
· Council President Martin Gahman clarified that the new $35 flat rate for trash removal is an annual, not a monthly, fee. The fee is effective June 1, 2010. Borough officials will continue to address concerns with the trash program, exploring other options for 2011.
Gahman also said that electric rates will not increase every year through 2015, as some residents fear. When rates were established in 2008, some increases were inevitable because of the wholesale increase in electric costs.
“That’s done now, and there’s an effort to level out the wholesale price so rates don’t have to increase,” Gahman said.
The borough realizes that residents are very unhappy with the increased rates and will do whatever necessary to trim costs, Olpere said in a phone interview after the meeting.
As people conserve electricity, costs go up, but there is no basis for anyone to assume that costs will automatically increase every year, Olpere said.
· Council approved low-bidder J.P. Mascaro for one year of yard waste removal with four optional one-year extensions. The contract includes dumpster rental at $120 per month, a haul charge of $175 per trip, and a tonnage charge of $50 per ton.
Haul rates increase $5 the second year and subsequent years up to $195, while the tonnage charge increases up to $60.
Since the borough has not collected yard waste through a hauler previously, tonnages were based on East Rockhill’s for the purpose of obtaining bids, Coaxum said.
· Council approved a bid from Fordian Packaging for its smaller, 20-pound size trash bags. Fordian offers 100 cases, for a total of 30,000 bags, at $2,690, or 8.966 cents per bag.
All American Poly bid the same number of bags at $5,700, or 19 cents per bag; Centry bid $4,500, or 15 cents per bag; and Interboro bid $3,348, or 11.16 cents per bag.
· The borough will be offering small trash bags from a 2008 bid for sale at a special price. The bags were made incorrectly with a gusset, so that they hold 20 percent more when tied than the 20-pound size and 2 percent less than the 40-pound size, Coaxum said. The bags are available for $2.50 at the borough office.
· Councilwoman Florence Frei presented concerns from a Perkasie resident living on Second Street. The resident is worried about forfeiting her parking space to dog owners once the proposed dog park is established.
Gahman asked the police chief to assess the parking situation from Market Street to the dead end of Second Street. The borough will consider allocating as private parking the spaces where residents would normally park.
Council approved a resolution to designate a dog park earlier this year, but specific plans have not been finalized, Olpere said in a phone interview after the meeting.
Council endorsed the Perkasie Dog Owner’s Group business plan and approved the consideration of Kulp Park as the site for the park. The borough is willing to enter into a lease agreement for use of the park and will assist the group in finding grants, but it is not committing any funds.
“We are not driving this project,” Olpere said. “We are cooperating, but we are not pushing it.”
· Perkasie Police Officers Association recognized Nancy Keenan for her 10 years of volunteer service to the department. Keenan, a former councilwoman, volunteers every Tuesday, finding resources for seniors in need, persons with mental challenges, and victims of crime.
Keenan received a standing ovation as she accepted her plaque and the association’s offer of landscaping services at her home.
A council member when many of the officers were hired, Keenan said, “What I’m really proud of there is that I never made a mistake hiring any one of you.”
Keenan said that she is overwhelmed at being accepted as part of the police department, and she looks forward to many more years of service. Perkasie council wants to stop spinning its wheels on wind turbine
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