Committee Opts for Diesel Generator

The agreed, by an informal tally of 4 to 1, to purchase a diesel generator to power the sewage treatment facility off of  Riveredge Road near the intersection with Heritage Drive.

The generator will have a capability of 125 kilowats of power and comes with a two-year contract from Atlantic Power Systems, which has a contract with the state, according to Engineer John Ruschke.

The committee debated the merits of a diesel generator as opposed to a natural gas generator. The installation of the natural gas generator, Ruschke said, was more expensive, though the two were approximately the same in maintenance costs, and the natural gas had a slightly lower operating cost. The total cost of the two options came down to $73,276 for the natural gas generator and $61,221 for the diesel.

Committee Member Bailey Brower Jr. said he believed the committee should look into the natural gas generator.

"We've been trying to go on the green side," he said, and the natural gas burned cleaner with fewer fumes and "no additional contamination."

Mayor Nicole Hagner and Committee Member Kevin Tubbs agreed, as did Committee Member-Elect Kathy Abbott, who spoke at the meeting.

Township Administrator Tom Ciccarone advised the committee to look to the incident at on Dec. 7, when at the high school and . "Gas blows up. Diesel doesn't," Ciccarone said, and advised the committee to opt for diesel.

John Paton, the chief of the , told the committee the insurance company for the Southern Boulevard Fire Station required him to sign papers when they installed a natural gas generator instead of a diesel generator.

"They wanted me, as the OEM coordinator, to sign something saying I knew they had a gas generator there," he said.

The committee asked John Pacelli, the head of the , which he would recommend. He answered "diesel" without a pause. He said even during the late October snow storm he was able to get diesel into town within two days.

"I still feel the advantages of gas outweigh [diesel]," said Brower.

Abbott agreed, and said the fumes from a diesel generator would be a potential nuisance to the neighbors.

"I think we've reached a consensus," Hagner said, and took a vote among the committee members to check. They approved the diesel generator over the natural gas, with Brower casting the only dissenting vote.

An official motion authorizing the generator's purchase will be on one of the agendas for a meeting in January, Ciccarone said.

In other business:

• Ciccarone said he would put an item on an agenda for one of the committee's January meetings allowing employees to opt out of the public employee's health insurance if they can prove they have alternative coverage. Township Attorney Carl Woodward is looking into whether an ordinance or a resolution is required.
• Ruschke advised the committee to look into fixing some drainage issues in town during the coming winter.
• The committee bade farewell to Committee Member Bill O'Connor, whose term expires on Dec. 31. Members thanked him for his service and guidance, and he in turn thanked the committee, township employees and the residents for electing him to the committee three times.