By Kevin Jefferies
Commerce – The Commerce City Council will be moving ahead with plans to advertise for bids for a new generator at the wastewater treatment plant. The decision was made in regular session earlier this week. The issue first came to the council in early February, and raised some heated debate amongst the council. Some members of the council questioned the need of a wholly new generator and wanted to know if the old one could be fixed and wanted to have such information directly from the manufacturer of the old generator, which had been struck by lightning.
Representatives were called out, and the estimate for repair was about the same cost as a new generator, according to Commerce City Manager Bill Shipp.
SHIPP:It was about $68,000 to repair it, and about $69,000 to repair it.
Shipp also said the city would be seeking another, independent estimate at direction of the council. The city would also be exploring other means of emergency power that would satisfy TCEQ regulations.
The council almost passed on beginning the bid process for a new generator, but took the item up after city staff recommended bids be gathered for comparison purposes, if nothing else.