LOCK HAVEN — Stacy A. Richards, director of SEDA-COG’s Energy Resource Center, addressed City Council on Aug. 7 about potential energy-savings initiatives, and her ideas were well received.

The city had an “energy audit” done some years ago, which helped with projects to make City Hall, Ross Library, and Hope Hose Co. more energy-efficient, City Manager Richard W. Marcinkevage said. Last year, City Hall was switched from oil to gas, he added.

The city is now in the process of moving its garage into its newest facility, the former PennDOT building on Second Avenue, and the windows there were replaced for energy savings, Council Vice President Stephen L. Stevenson said.

Lock Haven Mayor William E. Baney III and Marcinkevage also talked about street lighting. The city contracts most of this lighting from PPL, which is in the process of replacing old streetlights with LEDs. PPL also plans to replace the 49 green steel poles in the city, along with the lights atop those poles. The project should result in a savings of $5,000 to $7,000, the city manager said.

The city does own the streetlights it installed as part of its downtown streetscape improvements, and the lights on Main and Water streets are LED, he added.

“Everything we do is the most efficient we can get,” Marcinkevage said.

Councilman Ted Forbes mentioned that he has solar panels on his house and would like to add more.

Richards talked about “deeper savings” such as those available by examining the use of bulk fuels and air-sealing buildings.

She also noted that when a municipality begins to go down the energy-saving road, that sets a tone and encourages nonprofit organizations and private citizens to take their own energy journeys.

She was accompanied by Karen Elias and Vicki Smedley, members of SPARK (Supporting Public Action and Reliable Knowledge), a local community-based advocacy group.

Using less energy is a way to retain more wealth, and using renewable energy can create new economic opportunities, according to a statement from the group.

SPARK proposes a partnership with the city to jointly draft and implement a plan to help the community move toward energy independence. A citizens committee could partner with city government and SEDA-COG to write the plan and educate others about reducing energy use.

New Berlin in Union County formed a Community-wide Energy Independence Initiative and had hundreds of participants over three years. The average participant achieved about a 22 percent reduction in energy use, and the project documented a community-wide savings of $217,000 per year, Richards said. Over five years, that would total more than $1 million for a community of 900 people.

Millheim is in the process of using the New Berlin project as a template, as is Selinsgrove, Richards said. Seven buildings in Selinsgrove — churches, municipal structures, schools, not-for-profits — received a discounted price on energy audits. All have reduced their energy use by 25 percent without even turning to all the audit recommendations yet, she reported.

“The savings are phenomenal,” she said.

This region is behind the rest of the nation in energy reduction, she said, and SEDA-COG would like to move it in that direction.

The Appalachian Regional Commission has been a friend to the region and may be a funding source for a city-wide energy initiative, she suggested.

The mayor floated the idea of windmills on Bald Eagle Mountain, and Richards said Lock Haven University students might be able to chart the wind there as a class project.

SPARK also has volunteers who can do some leg work, Smedley said.

“It all fits together with what you are already doing,” she told council.

Stevenson said, “If we could save money for everybody in town, that would be a good goal.”

Baney said a further meeting with Richards would be a great idea for the city to pursue.

PERSONNEL

The city’s newest police officer, Wesley Alexander, was sworn in Aug. 7, Marcinkevage reported.

The city’s assistant treasurer, Barbara Waterman, will retire Dec. 6 after more than 20 years of service. Some of the job duties will be changed for the position before the city advertises to hire a replacement, council heard.

The city also will soon advertise for a new city planner, to replace Leonora M. Hannagan who also will retire later this year. Some of those job duties also will be changed before a new planner comes on board.

The position of part-time water clerk is open, Marcinkevage said.

OTHER MATTERS

The crowd for the Hybrid Ice concert on the floating stage Aug. 6 contributed $2,095 toward the City Free Summer Concert Series, the mayor reported.

There are two more concerts on the floating stage, he said: The Billy Price Band this coming Saturday and the band Dumm this Sunday. Both start at 6:30 p.m.

He also asked about the outdoor webcam on the levee that had provided a 24/7 video view of the river. The webcam, originally run by KCnet, has been down for months. Baney suggested Comcast might be interested in providing internet service and in helping get it up and running again.

Council approved Rally for Recovery’s request to post a banner over Main Street from Aug. 21 to Sept. 15, for a 5K run/walk.

The city’s application to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board for an Underage/Dangerous Drinking Grant was not funded, but the city can try again next year, council heard. The money was to be used for a joint program with Lock Haven University.

The city manager said complaints have been received about questionable images in the windows of a downtown storefront. At least one of the images has been called lewd. The city does not have the authority to have them removed, he told council.

Councilman Ted Forbes called the display “disgusting.”