Plumas County has an assortment of aging heating, ventilating and air-conditioning units in need of replacement. Some are so old parts are no longer available to repair them.
The Plumas County Board of Supervisors seemed on the verge of approving a $2.45 million fund transfer to allow the purchase of backup generators and HVAC units at their Dec. 10 meeting. When it came to a vote, however, Supervisor Jeff Engel halted the process.
“I don’t like the whole deal,” Engel said.
He voted against Supervisor Tom McGowan’s motion to approve transferring funds from an account holding a loan to a capital improvement fund. The measure would not affect the county’s general fund.
Approval required a four-fifths majority. Supervisor Greg Hagwood was absent Dec. 10. While Supervisors Dwight Ceresola, Kevin Goss and McGowan voted in favor of the motion, it failed. ENGIE project promises energy efficiency. The “whole deal” Engel referenced has been in process since January 2023, when county officials began negotiating with ENGIE Services U.S. to address energy issues countywide.
ENGIE assessed 45 facilities for energy inefficiencies and potential improvements. It found plenty, and proposed a 30-year replacement and energy efficiency plan. The multi phase, multi year project could save as much as $4.8 million over 30 years, according to the projections presented by Ashu Jain, an ENGIE senior manager.
In addition to replacing generators and HVAC units, the program involves installing window seals, LED lighting and street lights. Also included in the plan is a stand-alone array of solar panels that would power as many as 40 county-owned buildings at sites elsewhere in the county.
The supervisors unanimously approved a 30-year agreement with ENGIE in March. But in August they balked at a $10.8 million funding plan that would provide their share of the overall energy efficiency design. While they agreed on spending $1 million in county general funds, they asked for more information about the terms of the proposed $9.8 million loan from ENGIE. As collateral for the loan, the plan called for the county to use its equity in three properties: the courthouse, courthouse annex and the animal shelter.
It took additional information and two weeks for approval of a multi-step lease-purchase and lease-back agreement with several financial institutions. Even then it was a 4-1 decision, with Engel voting no. Engel said he opposed the 4.5% interest rate on the financing package. He also opposed the lease-leaseback portion of the resolution.
At the board’s Dec. 10 meeting, Engel reiterated his position on loans: “I have always been self-sufficient. The county could be self-sufficient, too.”
Engel has consistently opposed the purchase of backup generators. “I don’t want to be putting generators where we don’t need them,” he said, adding, “I don’t like replacing generators that don’t need replacement.”
The failure to get a fourth-fifths vote affected two separate but similar items on the board’s Dec. 10 agenda. McGowan’s motion to table discussion and action to Dec. 17 passed unanimously.
