EASTHAMPTON — After a routine check-up, the city found the generator for the Public Safety Complex was not working, requiring an appropriation of $100,000 for repairs.
“We found out that our generator at Public Safety was not working,” said interim Mayor Salem Derby at the City Council’s Oct. 8 meeting.
The council voted unanimously to appropriate $105,918 from stabilization funds to repair the unit, pay for a control unit upgrade and the use of a rental back-up generator during the duration of the work.
The problem was found in July during a yearly elevator test at the Public Safety Complex when power is temporarily used by the generator, according to Department of Public Works Director Greg Nuttelman.
The city’s generator maintenance contractor, Milton Cat, determined that the generator end unit had failed.
Derby said an emergency unit was brought in during repairs since the Public Safety Complex needs to have a back-up source of power at all times, as an emergency dispatch center.
“Since dispatch is at Public Safety, we need to make sure that it has power at all times so we had to bring in an emergency generator which is expensive,” he said.
Milton Cat also found a control unit of the generator was outdated which was replaced. Derby said being able to replace the unit while also making repairs saved the city a little money in the future, when it would have needed to be replaced.
Derby added that the building and generator are more than 20 years old.
“This was not something we were planning on doing. It was not something that was expected but it’s just one of those things that happens and you have to fix it,” said Derby.