Coldwater contracts $59,435 five-year inspection and preventive maintenance for Jonesville Substation

The Coldwater Board of Public Utilities approved a contract with Turner Electrical Services for a five-year inspection and preventive maintenance of the Jonesville Substation at a low-bid price of $59,435.

Andrew (staff member) told the board the five-year program includes transformer health assessments, oil sampling and inspection of critical assets on both the high- and low-voltage sides, and that the inspection team will issue a report with recommended follow-up actions. Jonesville Substation was energized in April 2017 and serves local load while providing redundancy for the city's northeast side, Andrew said.

Andrew said the utility typically budgets $50,000–$75,000 per substation and staggers inspections to limit annual cost, and that the Jonesville inspection was deferred from a prior schedule because it is a newer facility. The BPU received three bids and Turner submitted the low bid; staff recommended awarding the work to Turner, which the board approved on a voice vote.

Andrew described past findings from Turner at other substations, including cracked bushings and, in 2021, a buildup of acetylene gas inside a transformer that prompted immediate follow-up work. He said Turner performed Jonesville's predecessor inspections at Michigan Ave in 2021 and Garfield in 2023 and that staff were satisfied with Turner's past performance.

A motion to approve the award was made, seconded and carried; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.