Cedar Grove Council Looks to Acquire Generators

Municipalities around New Jersey learned a valuable lesson from last month’s encounter with Hurricane Sandy — be prepared because when a once-in-a-lifetime storm strikes, it’s too late to start planning.

With memories of Sandy still fresh, the Cedar Grove Township Council is looking to acquire some new generators for township buildings in case extreme weather like Sandy shuts down power in the town.

At its Dec. 3 public meeting, the council approved a pending bond ordinance on first reading for generators at each of its three firehouses, town hall and the library.

Residents need a location close by in case they need a warming station or a place to charge their phones, said Township Manager Thomas Tucci.

“After Irene we discussed the generators and then a year later, almost to the day, we were hit with Sandy,” said Mayor Peter Tanella. “I do not want to hesitate again.”

When Sandy hit at the end of October, not only did township offices lose power, but also Cedar Grove residents lost power, some for more than 10 days.

The council is allocating $168,000 for the generators, which includes installation costs.

An electrical design engineer will need to size the generators, analyze the specifications and prepare a plan

With second reading at the next public meeting, analysis and plans it could take three to five months until the generators can be installed, said Tucci.