Riley County moves to buy replacement generator for Law Enforcement Center after failure; sole-source procurement approved

Riley County public works staff told the commission on May 14 that the Law Enforcement Center's 26-year-old emergency generator had experienced serious mechanical failure and that repairs would be costly and uncertain.

"The generator itself is about $229,000," Public Works representative John Ellererman said, outlining alternatives and noting the county was paying about $9,000 a month to rent a temporary generator while the existing unit remained offline.

Ellererman and staff said shop checks showed significant damage (a bad head and oil contamination), and recommended buying a replacement unit rather than making an expensive repair to a very old machine. County procurement staff reported a vendor had a suitable unit available that could be delivered within weeks rather than months if purchased from the supplier; the commissioners approved a sole‑source purchase from Polar Power Solutions under the Raleigh County procurement code and directed execution under the county's previously approved CIP allocation for the project.

County staff said the CIP project for the replacement had been authorized with a budget of $350,000; buying the in‑stock replacement was expected to reduce long rental costs and avoid a longer delay if a new unit had to be ordered with standard lead times.

What's next: Public works will proceed with the purchase and schedule installation and electrical tie‑in work; commissioners authorized the procurement and directed staff to finalize details under the CIP project.