The Town Commission on Nov. 20 approved a plan to proceed with construction of a fully designed emergency generator for town hall, authorizing the use of a $400,000 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMPG) reimbursable grant and allocating about $800,000 from town funds, including ARPA reserves, to close an estimated $1.2 million funding gap.

Public Works Director Jeff Odom presented the project status and cost drivers. He said the generator specification calls for roughly a 350-kilowatt unit intended to power the entire building, with an enclosed housing for noise abatement, automatic transfer switch, and an approximate 2,000-gallon fuel capacity. Odom said the grant reimburses up to $400,000 for the generator itself but does not cover substantial site work and building upgrades required to meet current code: a new electrical room, heavy-gauge wiring run beneath pavement, conduit, structural work, new electrical components, and associated architectural and permit costs. Those retrofit and installation needs are the primary drivers of the remaining $800,000'$900,000.

Finance Director James Deverman told the commission town reserves and ARPA funds could cover the allocation without adversely affecting the town's balance sheet; he said about $1.5 million of ARPA funding remained but noted many items were encumbered. Commissioners asked about the grant's timing and whether it required the generator to be enclosed; staff confirmed compliance requirements and noted the grant is reimbursable, meaning the town pays upfront and is later reimbursed.

Commissioners discussed procurement strategy: Odom said the town might purchase the generator directly under the sheriff's contract (a cooperative purchasing vehicle) to avoid contractor markups and sales tax, and to expedite delivery in order to meet the state-mandated project timeline. Commissioners and staff also noted the design is complete and that some invoices for design work might still be outstanding.

After discussion, the commission voted to proceed: the motion authorized using the HMPG $400,000 reimbursable grant and allocating the additional approximately $800,000 balance from town funds, including ARPA, to fund the project; roll call confirmed the motion carried.

Why it matters: The generator project is intended to provide continuous power to town hall (including elevators and critical operations) during outages and to support the town's emergency operations center. The funding plan uses a reimbursable state grant and town reserves; staff said they will continue to research grant terms to seek possible cost reductions or alternative approaches prior to final contracting.