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Council signals support to buy property and add generator at Dry Creek lift station; staff to pursue purchase negotiations
Summary
Councilors directed staff to pursue acquisition of the parcel underlying the Dry Creek lift station and to proceed with plans for a standby generator after staff confirmed funding in the current budget.
Highland City staff asked the council on May 20 for direction about installing a generator at the Dry Creek lift station and acquiring the land that presently hosts the station. The council signaled support for acquiring the property and proceeding with a generator purchase and installation.
Staff advised the council the lift station is currently located on an easement and is the only lift station in the system without a generator. The station has two pumps but the existing natural‑gas powered motor can only run one pump at a time; staff expressed concern about resilience and the ability to maintain redundancy during outages. The city has approximately $250,000 budgeted for the project in the current fiscal year. Staff reported an installed generator cost estimate of roughly $150,000.
Because the installation will require additional footprint (an estimated extra 800 square feet) staff requested direction on whether to acquire the property outright or attempt to secure an enlarged easement. Council members said they prefer acquisition rather than continued reliance on an easement, citing the city ability to make future changes (sheds, sound‑attenuation enclosures, or other infrastructure) without the legal ambiguity easements sometimes carry. Council asked staff to seek a purchase price from the property owners (named in staff materials as Brad and Kimberly Anderson) and to return with a proposed acquisition offer.
Councilors also asked questions about generator noise, connection to natural gas, and the intended use (backup only, not continuous operation). Staff said the generator would be a natural‑gas backup and would run only during outages; staff suggested a noise‑attenuating shelter and landscaping to mitigate neighbors' concerns. Council direction: proceed to negotiate acquisition and move forward with generator procurement within the appropriated budget, and return with cost proposals for property purchase and construction options.
