Committee hears $150K–$200K estimate to run new gas service to school site

Mark Schweitzer of Colliers updated the committee on gas‑service logistics for the new school and summarized recent contractor and utility discussions. He said the utility typically installs new mains rather than extending older service lines and that the preliminary ballpark to run a dedicated gas service from the street to the building falls between $150,000 and $200,000 based on an estimated route of about 1,300 linear feet.

"They estimated it between a, you know, between a 150 and $200,000 to run a new line," Mark said, describing the utility and contractor feedback and the underlying linear‑foot assumptions. Committee members questioned whether gas would be required for the kitchen, domestic hot water or generator, and the district's food‑service consultant and facilities staff said most recent school kitchen projects have trended to fully electric equipment, with staff training noted as the primary operational concern.

Members discussed whether the gas expense would be justified if the town pursued geothermal; presenters said that if the geothermal well field is sized to handle domestic hot water and heating, installing gas service may be unnecessary and could also reduce available incentive rebates tied to all‑electric paths. The committee asked the facilities team to return with the generator fuel decision and a clearer life‑cycle comparison of gas versus electric domestic hot‑water systems before committing to running new gas service.