| Today's Feature Generating Discussion.
The generator in the basement
of Memorial Hall weighs approximately 3500 pounds
and has been run for only 294 hours since being
installed in 1965 when the area became a civil
defense shelter. Environmental regulations have
required the removal of the generator’s
underground fuel tank, and the discussion at
Tuesday’s Public Works Committee meeting was
whether to keep the generator or remove it.
Codes Inspector Bud Rogers
outlined the options for keeping the generator:
Leave it as it is because of the expense involved
in removing it; install a new, above-ground
diesel tank and use the generator for auxiliary
power for lighting and the proposed elevator in a
renovated Memorial Hall; or convert it to a dual
fuel generator using diesel and natural gas and
use it for auxiliary power.
Rogers said it would be cheaper
to buy a new generator than to convert to dual
fuel use and use as a dual fuel generator would
still require the purchase of a diesel tank. He
recommended the straightforward above-ground
diesel tank option if the Committee favors
keeping the generator.
City Engineering Department
Head Joe Butler reported that the architect
working on plans for the renovation of Memorial
Hall said there is room in the proposed
mechanical area behind the building for an
above-ground tank.
The other possibility is to
remove the generator and use it at the Fire
Department. Rogers said it would be expensive to
take it out because the north stairway, landing
and possibly the door frame would have to be
removed to accommodate the bulk of the generator.
Because of the expense, Butler
recommended that if the Committee chooses to
remove the generator it be done as part of the
renovation of Memorial Hall. A new stairwell has
already been proposed for that northwest corner.
"I don’t think we
ought to get rid of it," said Ross,
"because what if we had a tornado and we had
to put people down there for a day or two."
"It’s there,
it’s not hurting anything," said
Butler, "leave it there."
Committee Chair Bill Fortune
recapped the discussion saying the two most
likely options were to remove the generator
during the remodel or to keep it and purchase a
new diesel tank. Rogers will bring pricing
information for an above-ground tank back to the
Committee.
Free Limb Disposal Possible.
The Public Works Committee will
review the City’s policies concerning tree
limb disposal at the old landfill site and
consider instituting a severe weather exception
clause. The idea under consideration would allow
citizens to dispose of limbs free of charge
following an ice storm or other weather related
incident which causes considerable tree damage.
At Tuesday’s Committee
meeting, Committee member Larry Ross asked
initially about the feasibility of having the
Street Department provide curbside pick up of
limbs following destructive weather before
suggesting waiving the drop-off fees at the
landfill.
Street Commissioner Tom Shelley
said he had no problem with a limb pick up policy
if the City wanted to institute one. Currently,
the Street Department clears limbs from streets
and right of ways.
"I’m not in favor of
the Street Department picking up people’s
limbs," said Ross. "But I would have
sympathy for allowing people to dump limbs free
at the City landfill."
More Restrooms Needed.
Committee Member Larry Ross
raised the possibility of building public
restrooms in the downtown area at Tuesday’s
Public Works Committee meeting.
Ross said Square merchants were
concerned about the shortage of public restroom
facilities particularly during weekend events and
concerns had increased with the discussion of
moving the Civil War Museum into a renovated
Memorial Hall. If that occurred, even fewer
public restrooms would be available downtown.
City Engineering Department
Head Joe Butler suggested that with Council
permission his Department could start looking at
location and cost information.
"You don’t have to do
it," said Butler, "but it wouldn’t
cost a whole lot just to do some preliminary work
on it."
Ross said the Mall sidewalk
area might have been a good location had the idea
been considered during that project. Committee
Chair Bill Fortune pointed out that the police
station has public restrooms and that if Memorial
Hall is renovated as being discussed there might
be daily public access to those restrooms.
"If you’re a vendor
on the Square at an event or even the
farmer’s market, you’re not going to
leave your station and walk two blocks to a
restroom," said Ross. "All of us who
live here in town just run home, but we have a
lot of visitors in this town, especially on the
weekends when we have festivals."
Fortune agreed to take the idea
to the full Council.
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