Karen Gleason
City council members Thursday pledged to buy genera
tors so the city’s critical facilities can function through future emergencies.
During an “after-action report” on the city’s response to the cold weather emergency of Feb. 14-Feb. 21, City Manager Matt Wojnowski presented the council with a laundry list of next steps he believes the city must take to mitigate the effects of future emergencies.
The need for generators headed Wojnowski’s list. He said the city must determine which facilities will need generators during an emergency, what fuel type the generators should be, determine financing options and seek maintenance agreements for the generators.
Wojnowski estimated the city would need, at the very least, a 2,000-kilowatt diesel generator for the water treatment plant, a 650-kilowatt diesel generator for the West Spring pumping station, a 650-kilowatt generator for the Bedell water storage tanks, a 300-kilowatt generator for the Hamilton water storage tank and a 250-kilowatt generator for the Virginia Street water storage tank.
Those generators alone would cost just over $1 million, the city manager said.
He also told the council an estimated 19 generators would be needed throughout the city’s wastewater system. Top priorities are generators for the Nicholson, Canal and Magnolia street lift stations.
Following Wojnowski’s presentation, Councilman Alfredo “Fred” Carranza Jr. made the motion to direct the city manager to begin the process of acquiring generators to meet the needs of the city’s critical infrastructure systems “such as the water treatment and wastewater systems.” Carranza included in his motion the purchase of a maintenance agreement to ensure the generators are available in emergencies.
Carranza asked the city seek financial assistance through FEMA, but added that lack of financial assistance should not stop the city from moving forward.
Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon gave the second, and the council approved the motion unanimously.
Earlier in the meeting, Calderon asked if the city’s need for more generators had been known previously.
Are these generators just bought because of this (emergency), or they were needed years ago, that just never were purchased?” she asked.
“Certainly we could have used them. If we had had these generators, we wouldn’t have needed to try and get them,” City Emergency Management Coordinator John Sheedy replied.
“And why weren’t they bought before, to avoid something like this?” Calderon asked.
“I was on (the city) council, and we discussed it. I know councils before discussed it. It’s been something that’s been brought up before, I know, numerous times. I couldn’t really answer as to why it’s never happened. Hopefully this council can be the one that can get it done,” Sheedy replied.
“But you just said you were on the council and talked about it, so. . . ,” Calderon said.
“I was (on) one of councils that was aware of it, yes,” Sheedy said.
Councilman Steven Webb interjected the generators were discussed in 2016.
“It was discussed before that, but at least then,” Sheedy said.
