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Council reviews 60-year-old power-plant day tanks; Council Member Morse says tanks should not be inside building
Summary
Council reviewed a Farabee Mechanical memo about day tanks for two new engines: existing tanks are over 60 years old and buried in pits prone to flooding; Farabee sized a concrete room under new engines to allow indoor tanks, but Council Member Terry Morse opposed an in-building tank and urged consideration of a larger fuel-return line.
Council members reviewed a memo from Farabee Mechanical concerning replacement or relocation of day tanks for two new engines at the city power plant.
The minutes note the existing tanks are more than 60 years old, located below ground in pits and subject to flooding. Farabee Mechanical prepared a concrete room underneath the new engines large enough to accommodate two tanks indoors, which would allow gravity feed and internal plumbing rather than running fuel lines underground. Council Member Terry Morse said he did not think there should be a fuel tank in the building and suggested staff consider increasing the size of the fuel return line. The minutes record that staff will follow up with more information.
Why it matters: The location and condition of fuel-storage tanks raise operational and public-safety concerns — buried tanks subject to flooding present environmental and reliability risks; moving tanks indoors or improving plumbing can reduce exposure to flooding but raises building safety and code considerations.
What’s next: Staff were asked to gather more information on options for tank placement and plumbing; no formal decision was recorded in the Jan. 6 minutes.
