If Jan. 1, 2000, brings widespread power outages, Geneva will be prepared.
The City Council on Monday approved spending $376,000 for an emergency generator to power two water pumping stations and waste water-treatment facilities in the event of year 2000 power failures. The generator also would provide electricity for two community warming centers.
Ald. Paul DesCoteaux, the only council member to vote against the expenditure, said he thought it was unnecessary.
“While I recognize we are all concerned about Y2K, I don’t feel that the risk justifies the expenditure,” he said.
But Mayor Tom Coughlin said it was an important safeguard.
“It is a tremendous amount of money, but from my view, I don’t think we have an option,” he said.
Tom Talsma, director of public works, said the mobile generator, which is about the size of a 30-foot semitrailer, will allow city workers to conduct scheduled power outages to perform maintenance work and will serve as a backup during peak power use.
The generator will be paid for with electric, water and sewer capital reserves.
