Energy Commission Minutes

Minutes of 7/9/2025

July 9th, 2025

Carroll Energy Commission Minutes
Meeting of July 9, 2025 @ 5:00 p.m.
Carroll Town Hall Community Room

The Carroll Energy Commission mission is to advise, encourage, and facilitate energy conservation, energy efficiency, and clean energy solutions for public buildings and properties, businesses, and resident homes. The Committee shall provide leadership and direction for community education relating to energy and shall propose and explore funding for local energy projects.
These minutes of the Town of Carroll Energy Commission have been recorded by its Secretary. Though believed to be accurate and correct they are subject to additions, deletions, and corrections by the Energy Commission at its next meeting when the Commission votes its final approval of the minutes. They are being made available at this time to conform to the requirements of New Hampshire RSA 91-A:2.

Minutes recorded by Imre Szauter, Secretary

Commission members in attendance: Member John Greer, Member Karen Moran, Member and Select Board Representative Brian Mycko, Vice Chair and Secretary Imre Szauter, and Chair Bill Vecchio. Member Vern Amirault was absent.

Members of the public in attendance: Melissa Elander, Clean Energy New Hampshire (CENH) North Country Energy Circuit Rider (via Zoom).

The meeting was called to order at 5:01 p.m. by Chair Vecchio.

Chair Vecchio invited all attendees to rise and join in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Chair Vecchio welcomed Melissa Elander of CENH, who joined the meeting via Zoom.

Chair Vecchio stated he would entertain a motion on the Jun. 11, 2025 meeting minutes. Member Mycko motioned to accept the minutes as written. Member Greer seconded the motion. With no discussion, the motion passed with 5 AYES and 0 NAYS.

Under New Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on the Jun. 12 NH Network’s monthly Energy Working Group call. He stated the meeting was under 45 minutes and was well presented.

Under New Business, Chair Vecchio acknowledged that Melissa Elander was able to attend for only 40 minutes before leaving for another obligation, so he opened a discussion on the Jul. 8 CENH “Summer Social” in Town Hall Community Room. He felt the event went extremely well, with good attendance, participation, and social networking. Melissa Elander thanked the Energy Commission and the town for hosting the event, and stated she hoped we could do it again next year to celebrate the completion of the Public Safety building solar PV array project.

Under New Business, Vice Chair Szauter stated that Melissa Elander had provided resources on qualified solar installers for brownfield solar PV array installations and a RFQ (Request for Qualifications) template if the Energy Commission was interested in soliciting one or more contractors on placing a solar PV array on the former town landfill.

Member Greer mentioned he located several contractors online that seem to provide similar services. Members discussed options for seeking additional information from potential contractors. Member Greer offered to reach out to the firms contained on Melissa Elander’s list and those firms he identified, and report back.

Chair Vecchio made a motion to authorize Member Greer to contact the firms in Melissa Elander’s emails to determine if they have any interest in evaluating our municipal property where the former landfill is sited for a solar PV array installation. Further, Member Greer will report back via email to the Energy Commission on his findings before the August Energy Commission meeting. Member Mycko seconded the motion. With no further discussion, the motion passed with 5 AYES and 0 NAYS.

In the interest of time, Chair Vecchio asked Melissa Elander if she had any updates on the CENH blog post opportunity (listed under Old Business) that was introduced at the last meeting. She stated she had nothing new on that item.

Under New Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on the Jun. 16 LCPTracker application training. Member Moran stated that she participated in the remote training, hosted by MPACT Consulting. She reported that she requested a copy of the presentation, as there was too much information presented to write down during the training; she hasn’t received the materials yet.

Under New Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on the Jun. 17 Kearsarge Energy Select Board presentation. Energy Commission members who attended the Select Board meeting commented that much of the material was the same as presented to the Energy Commission on May 14.

Under New Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on the Jul. 5 pancake breakfast residential energy savings information handout/demonstration display. Chair Vecchio and Vice Chair Szauter reported that a few visitors stopped by to view the NHSaves, Button Up workshop, and energy-savings residential information available. Several visitors asked about the Public Safety building solar PV array project. Chair Vecchio said with additional signage, we might attract more visitors during the next three pancake breakfasts.

Under Old Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on NHDOE Municipal Solar Grant Program updates. Member Moran reported she still hasn’t received her Davis-Bacon & Related Acts (DBRA) LCPTracker number, so she is unable to access the online system. Vice Chair Szauter reported that on Jul. 8, the town received from Ted Vansant at Barrington Solar LLC the DBRA Compliance construction calendar, showing a Jul. 21 project start date and completion by the end of August.

Melissa Elander reminded the Energy Commission that photographs taken before, during, and after construction would be valuable to document the project. Vice Chair Szauter reported that Will Cunningham, who provided drone video and still images from the Sep. 2022 municipal complex dedication ceremony, was approached about flying his drone again for this project.

Vice Chair Szauter reported that the Eversource Simplified Interconnect Application and Service Agreement was completed and submitted by Jack Bingham of Barrington Solar LLC. At their Jun. 26 meeting, Select Board Chair, Bonnie Moroney signed the agreement; Administrative Assistant, Meg Basnar scanned and sent it to Eversource; and Eversource provided a confirmation receipt via email on Jun. 27.

Under Old Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on potential funding sources for future projects. He reviewed the short list submitted at the previous meeting and mentioned the CENH online list of resources.

Melissa Elander departed the meeting at 5:38 p.m.

Under Old Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on new projects and priorities. He mentioned updates to the municipal water system, including the currently-tabled Energy Evaluation of Town of Carroll Wells/Water Treatment Building & Tanks Report of Dec. 18, 2024. Members stated that two additional solar PV array projects were also mentioned, one at the transfer station property and the other at the pump house property. Those two might not require additional thought if a proposal to place a large solar PV array on the former landfill (located next to the transfer station) is adopted.

Under Old Business, Chair Vecchio opened a discussion on the Affinity LED Lighting streetlight updates. Vice Chair Szauter provided an update on the malfunctioning streetlight on US-3S, stating that an Eversource work order has been opened and the replacement streetlight has been delivered to the Lancaster Eversource office. He offered that in addition, one of the Affinity LED Lighting shields was delivered to Eversource and a request made to install it on pole #336-83 on US-3N if possible.

Vice Chair Szauter mentioned that a Jul. 2 Eversource streetlight ledger was received and cross-referenced with the Apr. 7 Affinity LED Lighting ledger, providing a spreadsheet with errors and omissions highlighted. When reviewed against the Jun. 2025 Eversource streetlight invoice, the invoice shows the town is being billed for 14 streetlights not on the Eversource ledger. Customer service agents in the Business Center NH group are working with the Eversource Large Power Billing Group to resolve the discrepancies and correct the Eversource ledger and future invoices.

Vice Chair Szauter reported that he, along with Select Board Chair, Bonnie Moroney; Energy Commission member, Karen Moran; and Public Works Director, Scott Sonia; recently visited the stretch of Rosebrook Lane between US-302 and Remick Lane in Bretton Woods to gather information on the road’s ownership. While the town has been paying for the three high pressure sodium streetlights there for years, it’s not clear if Rosebrook Lane is a town road or a private road. A follow-up conference call with the president of the Rosebrook Townhouse Association, Bert Spiller resulted in all parties agreeing to pool their research and meet again to try to resolve the ownership issue.

Vice Chair Szauter stated that he and Public Works Director, Scott Sonia visited St. Margaret’s Cemetery today to confirm there is an energy meter on a pole with a spotlight pointed toward the flagpole. The town has been paying about $200 per year for energy service to the cemetery, for the sole purpose of lighting the flag at night. Scott Sonia will investigate this issue and provide the Select Board with options. Member Mycko stated that he has a pole-mountable solar rechargeable light that was purchased last year for installation at St. Margaret’s Cemetery. Once the light is installed, the need for energy service to the cemetery should cease to exist.

Under Tabled, Chair Vecchio stated that the Energy Evaluation of Town of Carroll Wells/Water Treatment Buildings & Tanks Report of Dec. 18, 2024 is on hold until either the Public Works Director, Scott Sonia or the Carroll Select Board requests assistance from the Energy Commission.

Under Tabled, Chair Vecchio stated the option for town-provided email addresses for Energy Commission members remains on hold.

Under Other, Chair Vecchio asked if there were any items from members. None were offered.

Chair Vecchio announced the next regularly-scheduled Energy Commission meeting is Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 5:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Community Room.

With no additional items for discussion, Chair Vecchio entertained a motion for adjournment. Chair Vecchio motioned to adjourn. Member Mycko seconded the motion. With no additional discussion, the motion passed unanimously and the meeting was adjourned at 6:19 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Imre Szauter, Vice Chair and Secretary

Carroll Energy Commission
Vern Amirault, Member, 2023-2025
John Greer, Member, 2023-2025
Karen Moran, Member, 2025-2027
Brian Mycko, Member and Select Board representative, 2023-2026
Imre Szauter, Vice Chair and Secretary, 2025-2027
Bill Vecchio, Chair, 2023-2026
Note: terms end in October of the listed year