Itasca authorizes up to $80,000 emergency purchase of VFDs after July lightning damaged wastewater controls; insurance claim under review

The Village of Itasca Village Board on Aug. 5 approved an emergency purchase and installation of variable frequency drives (VFDs) for wastewater plant controls, not to exceed $80,000, after a suspected lightning event in late July damaged multiple VFD units and associated components.

What happened: Staff described a power event around July 24–26 that "cooked a couple of VFDs, overheated them, melted some components" and blew 600‑amp breakers, leaving the affected drives unusable. "These are highly sensitive electric components with circuit boards. They can't take the voltage that went through them. And they're basically scrap at this point," Public Works staff said during the meeting.

Why it matters: The VFDs provide motor speed control and system redundancy at critical pumping and blower systems. Without replacements the plant could face reduced redundancy or temporary operational limitations. Staff said two replacement VFDs had been sourced and ordered immediately to avoid extended service risk.

Insurance and costs: Village staff reported they have submitted a claim and were meeting with risk management to substantiate lightning as the cause; the village deductible is $10,000. Staff said vendor and operations personnel retained the damaged equipment for insurer inspection.

Board action: Trustees moved and seconded the emergency purchase authorization; roll call recorded approval to proceed up to the $80,000 cap. The item was presented as time‑sensitive and consistent with procurement rules for emergency purchases.

Next steps: Staff will complete installations, pursue insurance reimbursement if the claim is accepted and report back on final costs and any additional system hardening recommended after failure analysis.