Hyrum
needs more electrical power to keep up with growth
By Sarah West
November 4, 2005 | HYRUM -- With Hyrum's
continuing growth, the need for another power substation
is high. The city council discussed Thursday the current
situation with their existing two substations, which
can't currently maintain all of the city's power needs.
Guy McBride, electrical superintendent for Hyrum City,
said the service standard is that each substation can
only be filled to 50 percent of its capacity, so if
they lose one substation, the other can handle the full
load of two. However, he said right now, the two substations
aren't up to that standard, but are past that.
"At present, we're a little bit short of meeting the
industry standard," Mayor Gordon Olson said. "As we
grow, our need increases, but our capacity stays the
same unless we do something about it."
The cost for a new substation alone would be $900,000
according to a cost projection by Comlink. The council
discussed with McBride possible locations of a new substation
that will eventually need to be put in. With a new substation,
power impact fees would be placed upon Hyrum citizens.
The council also discussed consideration of an interlocal
agreement for fire protection which they did not approve.
The agreement would mean that ambulance drivers who
are stationed in Hyrum would need to be available to
respond to fires within their shift.
Councilwoman Dixie Clawson said her concern was what
if the ambulance crew was at a fire and she had a heart
attack and was unable to get help.
Councilmen Douglas Stipes said if Hyrum took action
to decrease protection for their citizens, the city
would have "violated the trust" of the community.
Mayor Olson said, "My concern is that they are going
to respond not as ambulance drivers, but as firefighters,
and will be out of service. And that gives me heartburn."
In other business the council: -- amended Title
16 to establish that the final plat for each phase for
development must be submitted two years from the previous
phase, and changed the minimum water line size from
6 to 8 inches.
-- amended part of Title 17 which established the specific
information that must be included on a citizen initiated
petition to amend a zoning ordinance or map.
-- voted and established the electric pole attachment
rate of $7 per pole.
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