SUNDRE — Council held an emergency meeting late last week to discuss the replacement and upgrade of a lift station emergency generator that had recently failed.
“The generator system is a critical item in protecting the upstream area of town from sewer back up,” said chief administrative officer Linda Nelson, reading from background information included in the agenda package.
The meeting was conducted by teleconference on Thursday, July 9.
The emergency backup power generator had on May 26 experienced a major failure with the cooling system during a monthly testing period, Nelson said.
“The generator is quite old and the part supply is now obsolete. We’re currently using an emergency rental unit to ensure we are in compliance with our licence until such time as we can have the generator replaced,” she said.
Quotes were subsequently sought out for a new system from the municipality’s two suppliers, with some figures already submitted, she said.
The associated costs outlined in council’s agenda were as follows: generator package, $61,500; elevated concrete pad, estimated at $15,000; engineering, $10,000; hydrovac for base, estimated at $5,000; and the cost of the rental unit $3,600, at $1,800 per month.
“The power will also be increased to manage future upgrades, and will be designed for flood mitigation through a plant elevation package,” Nelson said.
Council was previously informed about the failure on June 4 by the municipality’s operations manager, and was also told at the time that the item would come forward as an emergent item once quotes and a recommendation from the town's consulting engineers was received, she said.
“This item is considered emergent as it is a critical fix and was not included in the budget as it is an unforeseen occurrence.”
Coun. Rob Wolfe moved administration’s recommended action to approve costs not to exceed $95,100 plus GST for the purchase and installation of the lift station emergency generator, and that the funds be drawn from the Utilities Life Cycling restricted surplus account.
Coun. Richard Warnock inquired about the two suppliers and wanted to know whether the bid being considered was the lowest, or the bid for who could get the replacement and upgrade completed the fastest to reduce the rental cost.
“This bid is actually the supplier that can get it to us the quickest,” said Nelson.
“I believe there was at least four weeks’ difference. And the costs were not that dissimilar.”
Wolfe’s motion carried unopposed.
