Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution seeks to amend the 2024 Adopted Engineering-Other Capital Budget to create a new capital project, 'Landfill Generators at the Greentree and Mineral Point Landfills" at an estimated cost of $200,000 in 2024 funded by Landfill reserves. The project will fund backup generators for the Landfill during power outages. No additional appropriation is required.
Title
Amending the 2024 Adopted Capital Budget of Engineering-Other to appropriate $200,000 of Landfill Reserves to fund a new project for Landfill Generators at the Greentree and Mineral Point Landfills. (District 19 & District 20)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Madison Engineering Division is responsible for operating, monitoring, and maintaining the City’s five closed landfill sites with the goal of protecting both public health and the environment.
WHEREAS, the underground landfill gas extraction and leachate collection systems operate at these sites 24 hours per day (require power to operate) and are connected to a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system which provides the ability to monitor system equipment operational status remotely.
WHEREAS, the SCADA system notifies Engineering of a system failure, such as a power outage, so that staff can respond to maintain system operations.
WHEREAS, currently, in the event of a power outage, a portable generator is transported to the impacted site to provide temporary power until the power outage is resolved.
WHEREAS, the Demetral, Olin, and Sycamore, sites are able to be without power for up to 24 hours before back up power is required. Greentree and Mineral Point, due to higher methane production, can only be without power for 6 hours.
WHEREAS, a storm on May 21, 2024 resulted in more than 42,000 MG&E customers losing power.
WHEREAS, the City’s network went down due to power outages in the Park Street area.
WHEREAS, the loss of City network services resulted in the SCADA system being unable to notify staff that the Greentree Landfill had lost power and it was not until the next day that staff arrived to work and found the SCADA system down.
WHEREAS, staff determined that the Greentree landfill was without power and deployed a generator to provide temporary power until power was restored on May 24, 2024.
WHEREAS, The Engineering Division has 2 portable generators used to power landfills and sanitary sewer lift stations during power outages. While both generators are in good operating condition and have low hours of usage, they are more than 25 years old and are scheduled for replacement.
WHEREAS, New police, fire, and public works facilities typically include a permanent on-site generator to provide temporary power, if needed. The Sewer Utility has an annual capital program to install stand-by generators at its lift stations, which started in 2017.
WHEREAS, it is likely that the increased frequency of extreme weather events will lead to more power outages in the years to come.
WHEREAS, given the critical nature of systems serving the City’s landfills, and the small window of time during which power must be restored to the Greentree and Mineral Point landfills, it is desirable to have dedicated, stand-by generators at both sites, instead of replacing the existing portable generators.
WHEREAS, the 2 existing portable generators can still be used to provide temporary power at the other 3 landfill sites and sewer lift stations that do not yet have dedicated stand-by generators as well as other smaller City facilities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
That the 2024 Adopted Capital Budget of Engineering-Other is hereby amended to appropriate $200,000 of Landfill Reserves to fund a new project for Landfill Generators at the Greentree and Mineral Point Landfills.