LAUREL HILL — The City Council rested a proposal to spend $9,550 to refurbish a 1992 generator after hearing a report by Councilman Travis Dewrell.
The city received an $11,700 insurance settlement following the well pump generator’s damage in a lightning strike. In February, council members considered refurbishing the trailered unit for $21,250.
Mayor Robby Adams said the refurbished 60-kilowatt generator could be used as a back-up for City Hall’s aging generator, or used if the remaining well generator is damaged.
ALTERNATIVES
Thursday, Dewrell presented research and argued against spending taxpayer money to refurbish a 24-year-old generator. He suggested several alternatives, including:
●Buy a 60-kilowatt natural-gas powered generator for about $25,000, noting Okaloosa Gas is preparing plans to run a gas line to Laurel Hill, possibly by spring of 2017
●Enter an interlocal agreement with Paxton or Auburn Water, both of which have lines close to Laurel Hill or overlapping the community’s water service
●Save the $11,700 and apply it to a future need. “We can spend that money the best way we can see fit,” Dewrell said. “We’re not bound to buy a new generator.”
INTERLOCAL BENEFITS
Establishing an interlocal water use agreement with a neighboring water department would be mutually beneficial, particularly if the pact is with Paxton, Dewrell said.
“If both (of Laurel Hill’s) wells went down, we could open the valves from Paxton,” Dewrell said. “It could work the opposite way, too. It makes sense if we could work together like a co-op, if you will, helping each other.
“Hopefully we would never, ever have to use it. But if we did, it would be a good investment to put in some pipes and valves so our residents would never have to be without water.”
Dewrell said an agreement with Paxton would be more beneficial to both communities, because Auburn Water’s system is more extensive, and would be unlikely to need assistance from Laurel Hill in an emergency.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill councilman offers alternatives to fixing old generator