The Safety Committee invited Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Concolino to assist them in locating contractors who would give quotes on an emergency generator for Borough Hall.
The need for an emergency generator was first brought up in early 2015 by former Mayor Gerald Gross, who again requested in December of that year for the incoming Council of 2016 put it on a “To Do” list, citing Superstorm Sandy that left the borough without power for 5 days, leaving the borough unable to conduct business and residents without heat.
The 2016 Council did move forward with plans to install an automatic generator for the building, but was halted when a potential contractor discovered the existing gas line under the street, supplying Borough Hall, was not large enough to handle the capacity of natural gas needed to run the generator, while keeping other homes supplied with gas.
During 2017 and 2018, UGI upgraded their main supply lines throughout the borough, replacing the smaller mains with larger 3″ pipes. The replacement of these lines now allows for the addition of an emergency generator to move forward.
Mr. Concolino will be meeting with contractors to obtain quotes on a few different sizes of generators being considered and installation costs. The generator chosen by Council, if approved, would be the type that automatically turns on when it detects a loss of power to the building and would be, preferably, self-testing.
The installation of an emergency generator would not only allow Borough Hall to remain operating during an extended period of power loss, but would also enable the borough to provide a “warming station” for residents to escape the cold, or recharge electronic devices, such as cell phones and oxygen generators.
Mr. Concolino hopes to be able to provide Council with quotes and generator information at the upcoming March 11th Council Meeting.
If Council can make a decision to approve a generator and contractor at that meeting it is feasible that most, if not all of the costs could be covered by a grant already awarded to the Borough. That grant has some funds still remaining in it that must be spent by May 30th, if the unspent portion is not to be forfeited, meaning a generator project must be completed by that date, as well.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
