Supply chain issues impact Holton city projects

Supply chain issues are plaguing cities and counties across the country that need certain pieces of equipment to continue to operate smoothly and efficiently, and as the Holton City Commission was reminded on Monday, Aug. 17, the City of Holton is no exception.

Commissioners approved a bid of $25,900 from the Harold K. Scholz Company of Ralston, Neb., for the purchase and installation of two electrical relays in the city’s electrical distribution system, but as Electrical Production Superintendent Ira Harrison told commissioners, the new relays would not likely be available for installation for about six months due to supply chain issues.

“That’s the biggest problem with a lot of things we’re seeing,” Harrison told commissioners. “I’m sure you’ve heard this from some of the other departments.”

As Holton City Manager Kerwin McKee noted later in the meeting, that is indeed the case, particularly in regard to two major purchases made by the city in recent years — a new fire engine for the city’s volunteer fire department and a new work truck for the city’s water and sewer department, the purchases for both of which were approved by commissioners in 2021.

During Harrison’s presentation on the two new relays, which allow breaker switches to be opened or closed based on the amount of electric power going through them, McKee said the purchase of two aging relays — one for the city’s Evergy Interconnection circuit and one for a “12.5 bus tie circuit” — were previously part of the city’s budget discussions in July.

McKee also noted that the city replaced two electrical relays in 2021 and plans to replace three more in 2023, bringing the electrical system relays up to date for several years to come. The city received two bids for the work, he noted — the bid from Scholz and another bid of $30,300 from Utility HelpNet of Wichita.

However, Harrison added that electrical system repair companies such as Scholz are “about six months out” when it comes to new relays becoming available for repair and replacement work due to supply chain issues.

After the commission voted unanimously to accept Scholz’s bid, McKee said the city is experiencing supply chain issues with parts for the new fire engine, the purchase of which was approved by commissioners last November, and the new water and sewer work truck, approved in September of last year.

At the time commissioners approved the purchase of the new fire engine at a cost of $970,595 from Hays Fire and Rescue Sales and Service of Hays — with much of the cost to be covered by a Community Development Block Grant — commissioners were told the new fire engine likely would not be delivered to the city until January 2023.

For more on this and other stories, please log on to your holtonrecorder.net account and select Aug. 24, 2022 under “E-Editions.”