Darien Police Seek Budget Transfer For Emergency Generator Repairs

DARIEN, CT — The Darien Police Department is seeking a budget transfer of $10,000 to cover the cost of emergency repairs to a large generator outside of headquarters.

The Darien Board of Selectmen is slated to discuss and take action on the request during its next scheduled meeting on Jan. 24.

According to documents submitted with the agenda item from Police Chief Donald Anderson, the DPD's large Kohler outdoor generator is approximately 12 years old, and is responsible for ensuring the police building and physical plant has full power 24 hours a day, seven days a week when street power may be compromised.

The generator is currently leaking significantly and is in need of immediate repair to assure ongoing operability, a summary of the request states.

"Without a timely repair of the generator, the [police department] physical plant could lose power altogether and significantly impact emergency operations," Anderson said. "A standby generator, should we need it on site in an emergency, was quoted at $3,000 per day which additionally underscores the pressing need for this emergency repair."

A quote for repairs shows a total cost of $12,306, Anderson said. The station operations & maintenance account has a remaining balance of $6,044 for this fiscal year.

Due to the unexpected repair and part replacement cost, the police department is requesting a transfer of $10,000 that would have been used for the Cops & Kids program.

For several reasons, including changes at the Depot Youth Center, the department will not be offering the program this fiscal year, Anderson said.

The money is located in the criminal investigation and identification line.

Generator repairs would include draining the entire cooling system, and removing and replacing other critical parts.

The Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Jan. 24 after the joint department heads meeting which begins at 8:30 a.m.