(Photo by Kaitlyn Hession).
Village of Marathon officials are looking to buy a new emergency generator and auction off an old generator, according to mayor Scott Chamberlin.
Chamberlin noted at last week’s Marathon Board of Trustees meeting that the village will plan to put out a request for bid proposals on a new 60-kilowatt generator.
The village recently received an estimated cost of $40,820 for a new generator. However, the village can’t afford that amount, Chamberlin said, mentioning the most the village can reach without going to a public bid is $20,000.
The new emergency generator the village is looking into could be categorized as an emergency generator, Chamberlin said.
“We’ve been ordered by the county to furnish it,” he added, noting the village made an emergency purchase for lawnmowers. “There’s a caveat for emergencies.”
In the past, Chamberlin noted the village purchased a generator for the sewage treatment plant through a state grant.
“That was an emergency purchase. We needed that generator as quickly as we could,” he said.
Despite the pressure and need for a new emergency generator, Chamberlin said it could take the village a year to afford it.
“We’ll go through the proper procurement policy,” he added. “Maybe we’ll get better bids.”
As for the old generator, Chamberlin discovered it in the garage near the village office “sitting and rusting away.” According to Chamberlin, the 10-kilowatt generator was manufactured in the 1970s.
The village used the generator at the sewage treatment plant, but “won’t serve any purpose” due to the size and age of it, Chamberlin noted.
The village recently bought batteries and wire, totaling at about $400, to run the generator again. Getting it to run, Chamberlin said, will help the village’s efforts of receiving more money through Auctions International.
“We can use the money instead of waiting for it to disintegrate,” he added.
