Board authorizes Grindstone generator upgrade and relocation to Ruby Vista

The Elko TV District board voted to authorize a generator upgrade at the Grindstone site and to relocate the existing generator to Ruby Vista.

Ken, the district's staff member who presented the proposal, said the current generator "is about 10 years old" and that "the current size of the generator that's up there is 45 k w, and it's capable of running the site as it sits right now" but recommended replacing it with a roughly 100 kW unit to handle new buildings and improved reliability. He described plans to upgrade the transfer switch and electrical distribution and to build a framed interior with fire-rated board to address sprayed-foam insulation and fire-risk concerns.

The board discussed options including buying a separate outdoor generator versus installing a larger indoor unit; Ken said maintaining two generators would raise ongoing costs and that the board could fit a single upgraded generator into the maintenance budget. He recommended renting a temporary standby generator if the work would leave the site exposed for multiple weeks.

A motion to authorize Ken to pursue the upgrade and relocation was moved and seconded; the chair announced the motion carried on a voice vote. The board asked Ken to return with firm cost estimates from Rocky Mountain Cummings and related bids for final review at the next meeting.

The approval covers equipment purchase, interior modifications to the existing building at Grindstone, transfer-switch upgrades, and the relocation plan for the older generator to Ruby Vista as a backup.