Board approves purchase of second mobile standby generator to protect lift stations

Coldwater Board of Public Utilities members voted to approve management’s recommendation to purchase a second mobile standby generator intended to keep lift stations operating during multiple-circuit outages.

The board heard that the utility currently has one shared standby generator and that in events of multiple circuit outages that single unit may be insufficient to prevent overflows at some lift stations. A presenter explained the plan to deploy two mobile generators to key stations during extended outages so the utility can maintain service to other stations using its regular backups and crew responses.

In a review of bids, three vendors were mentioned in the presentation: Cummins, Power Systems and TES. Board discussion noted that the Cummins bid was for a larger-size standby unit (about 70 kW minimum) while other bids showed smaller ranges (35–45 kVA). The transcript recorded a wide range of prices and figures reported by the presenter; the board discussed differences in size, deployment strategy and the consequences for the Willowbrook lift station if backup power were unavailable.

Following questions, a motion to adopt management’s recommendation was made and supported. The motion was approved by voice vote; the transcript records ayes and no nays but does not include a numerical tally.

The board did not specify exact contract terms, a final vendor selection, or an exact delivery date in the recorded discussion. The presentation referenced differing bid amounts and sizes but the transcript contains garbled numeric lines for several price figures; the board moved forward with the recommendation subject to final procurement details.

Next steps: staff will finalize procurement and bring contract details back to the board as required by purchasing procedures.