Where's the common sense in buying a 38Kw generator for Bristol?

To The Daily Sun,

Why does most of the Bristol Selectboard not use common sense? What I am talking about is our new oversized 38 Kw generator at the town office. Also, I believe state law requires a generator be 25 feet from a building, yet they placed the new generator within five feet. Granted, some of the outside of the building is brick, but really, less than five feet! I am sure they got a waiver from the fire chief, but wait, where is our fire chief? Another letter for another time. For the safety of the people that work there this should not have been set so close.

So, why a 38Kw generator? Why not a more reasonable size, like a 20Kw? Don't they know that a 38Kw would run two houses with everything turned on? I know selectman J.P. Morrison showed some common sense because he questioned the size and cost of the generator. They could have powered the town office and police department with a 20Kw generator, but no, the selectboard just keep spending your money foolishly.A generator is for emergency power, not to power an entire building. It is to keep the essentials working like lights, heat, water, communications, etc.

Speaking of spending, I saw in a bid for fuel that Bristol is quoting a 20Kw generator for the Hemp Hill radio tower to power the communication equipment. Again, 20Kw to power a shed size building! It baffles me why the selectboard does not listen to reason (Selectman J.P. Morrison) or why they do not do their homework before they spend your money. For all these years we never had a generator and now it is an emergency and we need one? Not only is this an extra cost to buy, but also cost extra for fuel, to maintain and repair. Who is paying for the fuel, I know the budget committee did not budget for it.

Citizens of Bristol, you need to speak up. Voice your opinion, come out to vote and stop this wasteful spending. Take one day out of your life and come to the next Town Meeting in March where you and your vote make the final spending decisions. Do you know right now less than 100 people are making decisions on how your money will is spent? If only 50 more people came to Town Meeting, those 50 could change spending and the direction our town is going. Those of you on a fixed income or social security, do you really have the extra money to be paying for oversized generators?

John Sellers

Bristol