New Canaan wants generators, not elderly sitting in dark

Finance board increases safety budget

NEW CANAAN — The town will be getting 10 generators to distribute to the disabled and elderly during a power outage, if the proposed 2021-22 capital budget passes.

Director of Emergency Management Russell Kimes presented both the proposed emergency management operating budget of 2021-22 for $65,177 and the capital budget that for an estimated $250,000, at a Board of Finance meeting Thursday Feb. 25.

Initially, Kimes requested five generators in the emergency management budget and one large digital sign. Board of Finance Chairman Todd Lavieri asked him if there was anything else on the wish list.

Kimes said the town would be better to have 10 generators and two electronic digital signs, but he had not asked for them at first because he was trying to be “conscientious” about the budget.

Board member Neil Budnick asked why the town doesn’t have 25 generators if “old couples are being left alone in the dark.”

Lavieri told Kimes to figure out how many generators emergency management needs for the nearly 20,000 people living in New Canaan and to come back to talk to the Board of Finance in six months.

For now, the Emergency Management capital budget will include 10 generators for a total of $12,500, two digitals signs for $40,000 and the biggest capital budget item costing $197,010 for a Motorola public safety radio maintenance contract that covers both hardware and software.

Director of Public Works Tiger Mann recalled a well check on an elderly couple after a storm, in which two 85 years old, a husband caring for his wife in a wheelchair, were found sitting in the dark.

“It is pretty scary when you go on a well visit and they are sitting in the dark,” Mann said.

The director of DPW would have preferred to set them up with a generator to “know that they are safe and sound.”

Eversource offers generators for the most vulnerable during power outages. If the town also gave out generators, it would be a “sister program” to that, according to the DPW director.

The small generators can help someone maintain oxygen, other medical equipment and run the refrigerator, air conditioning and few lights, Mann said

“To get them through the night would be tremendous,” Kimes said.

Mann said a DPW crew would circle back to refill the gas after the generator was set up.

One generator pack includes a Honda 2200 120V AC gas generator for $1,091 each, a fuel can for $23.97 and a lighted extension cord for $83.48

Kimes also originally requested one electronic variable message sign.

At one point the town needed signs for at least three different uses at the same time: for road closures after Hurricane Isaias, COVID-19 testing and mandated signage related to the drought.

The two digital signs that are used by New Canaan are actually owned by the state and could be taken “at any point during a major incident that they want to use them. We do not technically own them,” Kimes said.

New Canaan typically has more requests than it does signs.

Kimes explained that, without a sign during vaccine distribution for example, a police officer would need to be posted at the site to speak to everyone individually.

The third capital request for $197,000 is to pay for a maintenance contract with Motorola for the digital public safety radio hardware and software updates, originally expected to be $253,945 prior to further negotiations.

Under the contract, Motorola would be responsible for full monitoring of the emergency system and replacing all the necessary software and hardware.

Prior to that, if communication systems were to go down, the police dispatch would potentially see a light turn from green to red, “but in a major incident when they are answering 911 (calls) those things could go unnoticed, “Kimes said.

Instead, under this plan, as soon as there is equipment failure of the public safety communications equipment, Motorola would dispatch an employee to correct the problem without cost, Mann pointed out.

In February, the Board of Selectmen passed a $157.68 million budget for 2021-22, the Board of Finance is reviewing it and then pass it to Town Council to accept, reduce or reject it.