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Pembroke Park extends temporary generator rental while seeking permanent installation; commissioners warn of grant risk
Summary
After years of delays on a permanent town-hall generator project, commissioners approved a month-to-month rental extension not to exceed 12 months; staff warned the town risks forfeiting a roughly $400,000 HMGP reimbursement if the permanent unit is not installed in time, and reported rental costs of about $7,020 per month.
Pembroke Park’s Town Commission voted on Jan. 14 to continue renting a temporary emergency generator for up to 12 months while staff pursue permanent installation and related building work.
The town has been pursuing a permanent generator under a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) reimbursement grant for several years. Town Manager Lynch and Public Works Director Jeff Odoms told the commission that the grant had been “resuscitated” but that the permanent installation requires ordering a large industrial generator, building a new electrical room, upgrading wiring and structural work — all of which add time. Odoms said supply-chain lead times for a permanent unit can be 6–12 months, and staff estimated a realistic completion window of roughly a year depending on procurement and construction.
Until the permanent unit is installed, the town is renting a temporary generator. Staff reported the rental cost at $7,020 per month (about $84,240 a year), and the manager reminded commissioners that the HMGP reimbursement currently stands at about $400,000; failing to install the permanent unit before the final extension could jeopardize the grant, officials warned.
Mayor Jacobs and several commissioners expressed frustration at what they described as repeated multi‑year delays on infrastructure projects, noting the town has extended grants several times. Commissioners asked staff to include the generator and town‑hall air conditioning projects in an accountability report for the next workshop and to revisit the rental decision in January 2027 if the permanent unit is not installed.
The motion approved Jan. 14 continues the temporary generator rental on a month‑to‑month basis but not to exceed 12 months, allowing staff to pursue procurement, partial ordering strategies and concurrent construction work.
Public Works Director Odoms said staff have begun acquiring prices via cooperative contracts and intended to run a bid process for construction and wiring while ordering the generator as soon as authorization is given.
