The Opportunity
The City of Gladstone is located within Clay County, Missouri, in the heart of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, directly north of downtown Kansas City. Gladstone is ideally situated to take advantage of its location within one of the hottest suburban counties in the nation and near the heart of the 25th largest metropolitan market in the country. It was one of only 10 communities nationwide to receive the coveted “All-America City” award in 2008. The All-America City Awards recognize communities for collaboration, inclusiveness, and successful innovation.
The City of Gladstone was challenged, as are most public entities, with reduced state and local revenues and expenditures and expectations that continue to increase. To be financially responsible, the City sometimes had to make difficult decisions about what continued to be funded and what does not. The City of Gladstone relied mostly on their own finances and financial planning. Unfortunately, the City’s budgets for facility improvements did not keep up with needs. They have been working to improve their facilities over the years using long range facility planning.
The Technical Solution
To help the City accomplish its goals, Navitas performed an investment grade audit to identify the critical facility issues and develop plan to address them. This information was used to develop a list of energy conservation and facility improvement measures that were self-funding through energy and maintenance savings. Through this process we determined that the City would be best served by using a phased approach for the program. The City Hall’s planned renovation were partially funded out of the program, so coordinating this construction efforts was a key priority. The Community Center and other buildings were staged as early as possible so that the City could begin achieving the energy and operational savings. The work included upgrading the lighting with energy efficient or LED lamps and fixtures, HVAC and mechanical equipment upgrades, a city-wide networked building automation system, roof replacement, building weatherization, and renewable energy in the form of solar panels.
The Financial Solution
The City of Gladstone decided to partner with Navitas to implement a program that used an energy performance contract to reduce energy usage, energy costs, and related operational expenses, and redirect these funds to pay for the facility improvements. The City also obtained lease purchase certificates of participation, which are paid for with energy and operational savings over 15 years. Together these funding sources provided significant infrastructure improvements and modernization of older, inefficient equipment and systems.
Download a PDF of this Case Study
Mid-America Regional Council – Energy Saving Project, Gladstone
How does this project advance the three pillars of sustainability — social equity, economic vitality and environmental stewardship?
The city of Gladstone strives to be responsible stewards of tax-payer dollars. One way to support our community’s social equity is by providing public services, such as police and fire services, social engagement and recreational and cultural events. Proactive programs, such as our energy savings project, result in responsible use of funding and help ensure these services and events remain in place. This project allowed the city to replace and repair equipment through funding generated by energy savings. In addition to helping sustain the economic vitality of our community, this project also reduced the city’s environmental impact through new, energy-efficient measures. By operating community facilities in an energy-efficient and sustainable manner, others may be inspired to do the same.
Read full article on MARC website.
City’s Energy Program with Navitas Featured in Gladstone Community Magazine
