Benton County wants to replace aging generator

The Benton County Courthouse.
The Benton County Courthouse.

BENTONVILLE -- A finicky generator that may hinder 911 operations if it quit needs to be replaced, a Benton County official said.

Bryan Beeson, facilities administrator, detailed to Quorum Court members on Tuesday night a list of recent problems with the 23-year-old piece of equipment. A new 100-kilowatt generator would cost about $60,000, he said.

County generators

Benton County has generators at three locations, according to Bryan Beeson, facilities administrator. They are located at:

• the County Administration Building

• the County Jail

• the Juvenile Justice Center

Source: Benton County

The generator only provides power, when needed, to the basement of the County Administration Building where 911 dispatch and Information Technology is located. There are battery backups, but their strength quickly evaporates, Beeson said.

Problems started to crop up in February, he said.

The generator engine is tested three times a month. On or around the 15th of each month a "load" test is done on the generator. A load test involves turning off the power to the building. The generator then runs and supplies power to 911 operations and Information Technology, Beeson said.

The automatic engine test for the week of Feb. 4 failed. County maintenance started the unit manually, and it ran fine. A load test failed Feb. 13, and the generator's control board was replaced, Beeson said.

The generator failed a load test March 13 and 14, but passed one March 15.

Beeson intended to request a generator replacement in the 2020 budget, but he wanted to make the Quorum Court aware of the situation. Justices of the peace, meeting as the Committee of the Whole, voted to send the item to the Quorum Court, which meets Thursday.

Competitive bidding would be waived because an emergency order would be signed by County Judge Barry Moehring, comptroller Brenda Guenther said. The $60,000 would be moved from the general fund into the capital projects fund, Guenther said.

A new generator should last about 25 to 30 years, Beeson said.

"The new ones run a lot smoother and are cleaner to operate," Beeson said. "Technology has made all the difference. It would be a detriment to the citizens if we don't have 911. It's a big deal to us, and it's the right thing to do."

Justice of the Peace Tom Allen asked Beeson whether the county could secure a portable generator as a backup until the new one is installed. Beeson was pricing the cost of a portable generator this week. Justice of the Peace Pat Adams also expressed concern about having reliable equipment as storm season approaches. He also liked the idea of having a portable generator on site during the transition to a new piece of equipment.

"We don't want communications down at all," he said. "To have one on standby would be a great deal."

Robert McGowen, public safety administrator, told the committee without power the 911 phone lines go down, and the county has to dispatch calls through other agencies.

The power to the basement doesn't go out out very often, but it does occasionally happen, McGowen said. Having a reliable generator is essential for 911 services, he said.

"It's a requirement for us to have continuity in operations if we have a power outage," he said. "It's best to address it now with the problems that have shown themselves in the last few months during testing."

James Turner, information technology director, said Wednesday a new generator is paramount. Having a system down for even just a minute can have an impact, he said.

"It would be good piece of mind to have a reliable generator to fall back on," he said.

NW News on 03/23/2019

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