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Albany utility board approves multiple equipment purchases and repairs totaling about $289,000
Summary
The board authorized contracts for fuel dispensers, a soft starter, pump replacements and repairs — including purchases from Barber Equipment, Donald Smith Company, Waco Electric Supply and Xylem — and recorded roll-call votes on each action.
The Albany Utility Board on Oct. 9 approved several equipment purchases and repair contracts intended to maintain fleet, water and wastewater operations.
The board voted to authorize staff to enter a contract with Barber Equipment of Albany for replacement fuel dispensers at multiple city sites, a purchase the city described as necessary because existing pumps are more than two decades old, manufacturer parts are scarce and outages have lasted weeks. Staff said the combined expenditure for the dispensers is $86,012.72 and that the components carry a one-year warranty. “They can't get parts for these things anymore,” a maintenance speaker said, explaining the risk of extended outages.
Separately, the board authorized a $44,710 purchase of a Benshaw soft starter for blower No. 3 at the wastewater plant. Staff said ESG, the contractor under a maintenance agreement, recommended the replacement; the product includes a three-year exclusive warranty.
The board also approved an emergency replacement of the Well 13 pump, awarding Donald Smith Company of Hedland, Alabama, a $46,930 contract after on-site diagnostics showed the pump could not be repaired and downtown customers and the nearby hospital could have been at risk of losing service. City staff said the vendor will remove the old assembly and install a new pump.
At the wastewater treatment plant, the board authorized a $58,683.92 repair with Waco Electric Supply. Staff said replacement would cost about $200,000 and that the repair should extend the pump’s useful life by roughly four to five years.
Finally, the board approved purchase of a trailer-mounted 6-inch Godwin pump from Xylem Dewatering Solutions for $53,276.81 using a Florida Sheriffs Association cooperative contract; the unit carries a 12-month or 2,000-hour warranty and the existing unit will be declared surplus upon delivery.
Votes were recorded by roll call for each motion. Staff told the board that many of the purchases were recommended by ongoing maintenance contractors and that some were handled under cooperative procurement agreements to expedite delivery and reduce cost.
The board’s actions are intended to address immediate service risks and to avoid longer outages while staff continue to evaluate lifecycle and replacement strategies for aging infrastructure.
