Greenfield council says backup-generator grant cannot be met; explores trade for natural-gas unit

Mayor Chris Borreson told the Village Council of Greenfield on March 16 that the village will be unable to meet the April 1 deadline for a previously discussed $50,000 grant for a backup generator because bid and installation timelines cannot be satisfied.

The missed deadline matters because a functioning backup generator is intended to support critical municipal operations during outages. Borreson said the village will not continue to pursue that specific expiring grant and will look for other funding options while pursuing an equipment trade.

"We will be unable to meet the April 1st deadline for the previously discussed ($50,000) grant," Borreson said, explaining that the grant's bid requirements and installation schedule could not be met. He said Chief of Police Chief Oyer is pursuing avenues to trade the village's currently unused diesel generator for a natural-gas generator after the Board of Control recommended the natural-gas option as a better long-term fit for the community.

During public comment Brenda King asked whether the village could reapply for the grant. Borreson responded that the stipulations for the current grant could not be met in time and suggested pursuing other available grants rather than attempting to reapply for one that is set to expire.

The council did not take formal action on the purchase or trade at the March 16 meeting. Next steps listed by officials include exploring a trade arranged by Chief Oyer and identifying alternative grant opportunities; council members said they would report updates at future meetings.