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Board hires CE Raines to oversee public safety generator replacement after trustee debate on urgency and cost
Summary
Trustees approved contracting CE Raines for project oversight of a new public safety building generator; trustees debated whether immediate replacement was essential, engineering review needs, and how the project would be funded (cell-tower revenues were cited).
The Grosse Hill Township Board approved a professional services agreement Sept. 8 with engineering firm CE Raines to provide evaluation, bid coordination, field observation and contract administration for replacement of the public safety building generator. The motion to contract CE Raines passed after a roll-call vote at the meeting.
Why it matters: the Public Safety Building’s standby generator is used to power the police and fire operations. Board members, the police chief and the fire chief told trustees the current unit is more than 30 years old and the departments want proactive replacement to avoid loss of critical services. The proposed oversight contract is for project management and bid review; a later vote will be required to award a contract for procurement and installation of the generator itself.
Trustee Margaret, who seconded the motion for the oversight agreement, said proactive replacement prevents service interruptions and noted manufacturers and insurers consider units beyond 30 years to be near end of life. “Proactive replacement prevents service interruptions and ensures reliability when it’s most needed,” she said. CE Raines will also coordinate startup, punch-list and closeout steps and assist the departments through installation.
Trustees asked several operational and fiscal questions. Treasurer Kevin and Trustee Bill asked whether the existing generator had been professionally evaluated and whether an electrical engineer should assess whether the existing unit could be repaired or repurposed. Trustees also discussed funding: staff and chiefs said the project is expected to be covered primarily by cell‑tower revenues designated for public safety; Margaret and others said the departments have budgeted for this work and the board will see detailed cost estimates before any equipment purchase.
The vote: the board approved contracting CE Raines for project oversight; members voting in the roll-call included several “ayes” and at least one recorded “no.” Trustees said they expected a subsequent agenda item with detailed bids and an installation contract that would include exact pricing, the scope of work and specific engineering evaluations.
Ending — next steps: CE Raines will begin oversight work and staff will return to the board with generator procurement bids and installation costs for a formal contract vote. Trustees asked staff to include any professional engineering assessments of the existing unit and to show funding sources, including cell‑tower funds, before authorizing purchase and installation.
