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Geneseo updates: paving, water tower returned to service and power-plant turbine failure under review
Summary
City staff told the council that North State Street mainline paving should finish by month’s end, the North Water Tower is back in service with a short punch list, and a wind-turbine generator failure at the municipal power plant is under insurance investigation with staff to present options on replacement, decommissioning or repowering.
City engineering and utilities staff gave the council a range of project updates on July 14.
City engineer Lauren reported the North State Street underground work is complete, about a quarter of the mainline pavement is poured and crews hope to finish mainline paving by the end of the month, with driveways and sidewalks to follow. The Chicago Street sidewalk project has most sidewalk in place on the east side from Exchange to Wells, with a few tie‑ins remaining. Work on Well 33 continues: staff are taking additional EPA‑required samples as part of source‑water protection and a corrosion study.
Public works reported the North Water Tower repainting and work is complete except for about 10 punch‑list items; the tower is back in service, allowing momentum on lead‑line replacement planning and resumption of other water‑system work. A jet truck for wastewater was delivered in late June, and phosphorus renewal design work with Donahue is advancing with an anticipated update or presentation at the next meeting.
Utilities staff briefed the council on generation and grid work: a 50% deposit has been made for a power-plant roof replacement to begin in August; crews are completing an industrial loop undergrounding project; pole replacements on Chestnut Street are planned; and a planning study with VMHT is assessing whether to add generation capacity, retire older units or change the generation mix. On a separate note, staff said one wind-turbine generator failed; insurance investigators have completed a report and staff are compiling lost‑revenue information to bring to the council so members can decide whether to replace the generator, decommission it or repower at a later date.
The mayor and administrators flagged workforce and hiring pressures in public-safety staffing: the police chief described lag times for academy training and onboarding that create multiple‑month delays between hiring and a new officer becoming fully operational.
What’s next: Staff will return to council with the turbine’s lost‑revenue calculations and recommended options; Donahue or project representatives are likely to return with a phosphorus-renewal update at a future council meeting.
