BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Starke Utilities Manager Drew Mullins said upgrades to the city’s electric infrastructure are improving system reliability and reducing outages as well as the length of those outages.
The installation of reclosers is one reason. A recloser is a switch that can open and close a circuit until a temporary fault caused by lightning, falling limbs or wildlife like squirrels is cleared. When a fault is detected, the recloser opens the circuit to cut power, then after a short delay, closes to restore power. It can do this a number of times until a temporary fault is cleared, and this reduces the time of a power outage for customers.
This combined with the tree trimming program over the past few years and other improvements has made a difference, Mullins said.
“Just pay attention at home. You don’t see outages nearly as much, and that’s through, again, a proactive approach,” he said. He also discussed capacitor installation at the substation, which balances the electric load coming into the city, reducing stress and extending the life of the lines and transformers. It also has the potential to lower the city’s wholesale power bill, he said.
This modernization means the city is finally looking to the future, Mullins said. Measures like installing SCADA supervisory controls and GIS mapping the utility system are further proof that the city has moved from a reactive to a proactive approach to its infrastructure, he said.
Every electric pole in the city is being mapped and assigned a code specific to the city so as not to be confused with number assigned to poles by a telephone company. The SCADA controls help the city to pinpoint the location of an outage.
“This is modernization. I know these seem like small steps when I’m explaining it, but these things go miles. I mean, it’s amazing how far these things will go,” Mullins said.
The manager said FMPA’s Leased Employee program, which hires experienced individuals to work on special projects with members like Starke, put him in touch with David Sparks from GRU. Asked about his vision, Mullins said just because Starke is the oldest municipal electric provider in the state doesn’t mean the system should be antiquated.
“When we have people complain about high bills and stuff, again, like I said last meeting, we’re low. We’re also reinvesting in things here, which to me, we should be very proud of that, while still, again, maintaining low rates,” he said.
In other business:
—Mullins reported that the individual responsible for the theft of $20,000 of items from the city yard through two break-ins was caught and arrested by the sheriff’s office. They were able to recover some, but not all the stolen equipment.
Through the arrest, the sheriff’s office said detectives solved multiple burglaries throughout the county that involved stealing more than $20,000 of tools and construction materials and more than $10,000 in property damage.
—Mullins shared an update about the wastewater treatment plant. Pending testing, the plant would be fully operational, he said.
—Mullins said a Tesla charging station for electric vehicles would be installed at Deerfoot Shopping Center.
—Chief Administrative Officer Jimmy Crosby said Wainwright Park will be closed after dark to prevent vandalism and misuse. Signs will let the public know that being there after dark is trespassing. They are working with the sheriff’s office on camera installation.
—Crosby said a team of employees are being trained in coordinating emergency management response for the city. They will work with the sheriff’s office, which is the primary emergency response agency, but focus on impacts specific to the city, including its utilities, streets, etc. They will also help educate citizens about disaster relief.
