BAR HARBOR — The Public Works building will receive a new standby generator and fuel system to aid emergency response services during widespread power outages. The purchases will cost $282,000 and ensure that emergency services have access to fuel if the Public Works facility loses power.
Police cruisers, fire trucks, ambulances, plow trucks, and other municipal maintenance vehicles all rely on the Public Works fuel pumps, especially in an outage that caused other gas stations in town to lose power, Fire Chief Matt Bartlett said. Emergency Generator
“In a time of emergency, we need to get fuel and not rely on going to local stores that may be without power as well,” Bartlett continued. “We need it to continue to provide the services we have.”
Bartlett explained to the Town Council that the need for backup power at the Public Works facility arose when the Fire Department began considering the building for an emergency base of operations. Upon inspection, the Fire Department noted that the necessary functions of the building are not connected to backup power.
“Fuel pumps and the IT closet, which are two critical functions for the Public Works, need to be put on the system so they’re on backup power,” Bartlett said.
Public Works Director Bethany Leavitt noted that aside from the backup power situation the town needs to replace the fuel tank itself. She said the tank’s inner wall had breached, rendering the system nonfunctional and potentially hazardous.
“It was actually repurposed from the old highway garage, so when that facility was built, I think there was a decision not to put a new system there, and they just relocated the old system, and unfortunately that tank is no longer viable,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt said that while the Public Works facility has a solar array and battery system, the building is not self-sustaining. She explained that, like many solar arrays, the Public Works system sends its electricity to the grid and receives a credit in return.
“I’m all for public safety and backup, however, I have a few concerns,” said Council Vice Chair Gary Friedmann, noting that Bar Harbor has two electrical transmission lines, which reduce the possibility of power outages in the town, so the need for a backup system is unlikely and a luxury.
“Why should we be spending that kind of money for a command center out of town when we have almost assured continuous power in town?” asked Friedmann. “It’s a heck of a lot of money for this purpose.”
Bartlett replied that backup power for fuel pumps was a necessity and explained that the Fire Department could have potentially experienced a fuel emergency during the intense storm last week.
Friedmann suggested that the town explore options for a battery backup system instead of increasing reliance on fossil fuels.
“You do have a number of Tesla power walls in there [Public Works building], and I’m wondering whether battery backup systems could power the essential functions that are needed at the public works site: the fuel tanks, the conference room, your IT stuff,” Friedmann continued. “I just think that we’ve all agreed as part of our work as a town that’s addressing the climate emergency, that we’re going to examine every opportunity for avoiding fossil fuels, and this is a big one, $282,000 in a fossil fuel system which should be obsolete in this country in 10 or 15 years.”
“We would need commercial batteries,” Leavitt replied. “The Tesla power packs there are not really designed for something like we’re talking about today.”
Aside from Friedmann, the Council supported the generator and fuel tank purchase. Councilors noted the need to provide emergency services with the resources necessary to do their jobs and to provide them with a backup plan should the need for one arise.
“This feels like contingency planning to me, and I don’t see why we wouldn’t support that,” said Councilor Maya Caines. “They’re asking for this so they can do their jobs and so they have what they need. I think it’s like very wild to even question this.”
“Not having a secondary location would make it very very difficult to deal with some sort of major event where they [emergency services] can’t use the downtown, so I completely understand the need for having a slightly decentralized emergency center where you can operate from,” added Councilor Matt Hochman. “Hopefully, the need never arises, but should it happen, not having it could be horrific.”
Councilor Kyle Shank moved to approve the purchase of a standby generator and new fuel tank system at the Public Works building, which passed with only Friedmann voting against it.
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