Project ‘substantially completed’

The Acadia Parish School Board has declared that the Performance Based Energy Efficiency Services Project conducted by Johnson Controls, Inc. is substantially completed.
And, the board is already receiving applause from CLECO for the project, receiving a rebate of over $40,000.
The project is the designed to help the board seave money through energy efficiency. Lights and air conditioning units were replaced, among other things, with more efficient ones that are designed to save electricity as well as have longer lives
“These last few weeks we have made great progress,” said Project Manager “Chip” Moore in his update Monday night.
The project is now moving into training, mostly. Moore believes it will be completely done in about two weeks. Measurement verifications will also be done now.
Meanwhile, there is still one big item to take care of by JCI. It’s work on the Crowley High water well has been embattled by weather delays. The well is dug and JCI is hoping that the latest stretch of promising weather will mean it too will soon be checked off the list.
Throughout the process, Moore provided the board with monthly updates as to how the project was progressing, and most of the work was done after hours, over the summer or over holidays, all to not interrupt class time.
“It was great working with [JCI],” said Superintendent Bourque. “We were apprehensive at first going into the schools at night.
“[JCI] did a super job not interrupting the schools.”
Moore complimented Acadia Parish’s schools’ staffs from the top to the bottom for working with them and being so accommodating throughout the process.
“What made this project such a success, from an installation standpoint, is the cooperation we’ve had with all the schools and the custodian personnel and principals,” said Moore.
“It’s really been unbelievable and it’s really a big part as to why this project was so successful.”
School board members like Milton Simar complimented JCI for always being accommodating when questions arose. Simar reflected that if he were to stroll into a school around 8 o’clock to see how it was progressing one night, the person in charge would stop what he or she was doing to show Simar around and point out how it was moving.
The Crowley High School weight room project also received substantial completion.
The facility was approved by the state fire marshal’s office inspection last week.
Board members were invited to visit the facility as it was reported to be in “great shape.”
The project’s remaining punch list is “very minor” and should be finished very soon.
Keys are now being turned over to Crowley High’s coaching staff so that the weights can be moved in and set up properly.
Both items were passed unanimously.
APSB will hold no committee meetings in December and will next meet Jan. 11, 2016.