Making Policy or Micromanaging?

If the Borough Assembly would adopt a policy of energy conservation and efficiency, citizens could be confident that Borough management would be "on" all the opportunities for help in this direction; but they haven't and we aren't.

That's why I reminded the Assembly last night about Alaska Housing Finance's Alaska Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Program (labeled "AEERLF," which I can't imagine how to pronounce!). This program has been on the books since 2010. The loan is paid back with the savings reaped through the implementation of the energy efficiency and conservation strategies determined by an Investment Grade Energy Audit. I know that this opportunity came to the attention of the Borough last winter (February 2011), but somehow the ball got dropped. If a policy of energy conservation and efficiency were in place, the ball would be in play.

Right now, the only energy conservation and efficiency project in play is a result of a $50,000.00 allocation literally dumped on the Borough by the Federal government. It is being used to do weatherization work and lighting upgrades at the Public Safety Building. And, by the way, to install a new oil-fired boiler.

That brings me to my second policy position. If the Borough Assembly adopted a policy of using biomass (wood) for heat wherever feasible, management might have explored an alternative to oil for the Public Safety Building. Again, management might choose (or not) to take advantage, right now, of the Request for Statements of Interest for Wood-Fired Heating Projects from the Alaska Wood Energy Development Task Group (under another unpronounceable acronym, "AWEDTG") due November 11.

I sent emails to the Borough Manager and to the School Superintendent about these opportunities last week, but absent policies on either energy conservation/efficiency and utilization of renewable sources of energy for heat, I decided to convey these opportunities to the Assembly at the meeting last night.

I believe that burdening the Assembly with these details is called "micromanaging." Just before I attended the meeting last night, I spoke at length with a resident who perceives that the Assembly "micromanages" the Borough as opposed to establishing policies. I begged for an example of how the Assembly "micromanages." At the time, a good example didn't come to mind, but as I stood last night, I realized that I was, by my presentation of energy conservation/efficiency and wood heat opportunities, encouraging the Borough to "micromanage."

One of the first tasks given to the Energy and Sustainability Commission was to prepare a Borough Conservation Plan. We did. We delivered it in 2008. In the very last paragraph we warned that all these strategies would come to naught in the absence of the Assembly's adoption of energy conservation/efficiency and renewable energy policy. We have seen the dissolution of the dynamic ESC; we have seen opportunity after opportunity slide by; we have seen a 30% increase in our public sector budget (FY12) for energy costs - all for the want of a clear policy statement which sets the course for Borough management. What a shame.

Now, as I have done for the last 3 years, I pledge to craft a policy statement of reduction of the cost of energy for borough facilities and the utilization of renewable energy sources if I am elected Borough Mayor next week. Suddenly the childhood rhyme my mother had us chant over and over again seems like a great campaign slogan:

I meant what I said, and I said what I meant.
An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent.
Dr. Seuss, Horton Hatches the Egg
US author & illustrator (1904 - 1991)

I wish I had thought of it before now!

Please vote October 4.