The Township of Mapleton has received a $10,000 grant to install a natural gas generator at the Alma Community Centre through the federal Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP).
At the Nov. 27 meeting, council approved the purchase and installation of the generator from Genco Generators of West Montrose, for the quoted price of $22,542, plus HST. The only other quote received for the project, from a Woodstock company, came in at $40,650, plus HST.
Larry Lynch, director of public works, noted the federal government is phasing out the JEPP program, with 2012 being the final opportunity to access funds through it. The township has previously accessed JEPP funding to purchase portable digital radio equipment for the Mapleton Fire Department.
The Alma Community Centre is one of Mapleton’s designated Emergency Evacuation Centres and “in the event of a situation where there is a loss of hydro, the generator is an absolute necessity,” stated Lynch in a report to council.
