Fayetteville Asks for Help to Buy Generator

The City of Fayetteville requested help from the County to pay for generator equipment for the town’s water system.

The State of Texas has required all public water utilities in the state to develop emergency plans in response to last year’s historic winter storm. Those plans must include provisions for powering water wells with generators in case of a long-term power outage. But those generators can be quite expensive for small cities like Fayetteville.

Late last year the County applied for a $493,500 hazard mitigation grant from FEMA to purchase four generators for Fayette Water Supply Corporation (FWSC). That grant involves a 25 percent local match, which FWSC agreed to cover.

Fayette County grant specialist Angela Hahn said the County could use funds the County received from the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan to pay for the Fayetteville generators.

The County has just under a million dollars left in ARP funds that have not been obligated or spent. Hahn said she anticipates the County will receive another $2.5 million in ARP funds through a second distribution in May. Fayetteville Mayor Mike Stroup said his city received about $64,000 in ARP funds. But Stroup estimated the generator equipment Fayetteville needs would cost between $88,000 and $120,000.

Hahn said that if the County decided to help Fayetteville with the expense, it could “open up the door” to other communities seeking the County’s assistance with the new state mandate. “If you want to move in that direction, we can do so legally,” Hahn said.

“Our incorporated communities are small,” said County Judge Joe Weber. “They don’t have a lot of people. Anytime the County can help them, I think that falls under the umbrella of safety, security and health.”

Weber asked to defer the item until Stroup can consult with engineers and determine a more exact cost.

“If we give to one town, I’m sure the rest of them are going to start hitting us up for money,” said Pct. 4 Commissioner Drew Brossmann. “I would feel more comfortable waiting to see if we get the rest of (the ARP funds) before we make any decisions about the money we have left – make sure our County buildings are up to date with their HVAC systems and everything else before we jump ahead.”

In a written report to Commissioners, Hahn discussed several other potential uses for the ARP funds, including an HVAC system for the Gardenia Janssen Animal Shelter and an endowment to care for the Faison House in La Grange.