Town experiences prolonged power issues
Fontana Dam – Upgrades were made on schedule, but not without several hiccups.
The Tennessee Valley Authority completed the first phase of electrical upgrades in the town from Sept. 9-18, but residents and guests alike were left with scattered access to power during the project.
As recapped at Monday’s town council meeting, a generator – supplied by United Rentals – was not properly wired before being shipped to Fontana Dam, leading to a fuel pump failure inside the machine. This came after TVA crews had turned the town’s power supply off, resulting in a planned 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. outage lasting until nearly 11 p.m. the first night.
Power remained limited through most of Sept. 10. Backup generators were later brought in from Jacksonville, Fla., and installed.
Additionally, the TVA made a last-minute decision to include the power supply to the marina in its first phase of upgrades, which left several with houseboats either with limited fuel for generators or without power altogether. Power was restored around 7 p.m. Sept. 9 but, much like the town, remained intermediate throughout the course of the phase.
“I think everyone wanted to blame the TVA – and, yes, they were responsible for the project – but I think United and their execution of the plan is probably where a good bit of the blame lies,” Fontana Dam Mayor Rob Hardy said.
Hardy later said a schedule or plans for the second phase have yet to be finalized, but it is expected that crews will reroute power lines through the old path, established when the TVA arrived in the 1940s. The old path actually provides a clearer path in most areas for maintenance.
Town Administrator Zelerie Rogers and Hardy were asked to participate in a conference call with TVA officials after The Graham Star’s press deadline Wednesday to discuss the second phase.
Also at the meeting:
* Rogers announced a town balance of $162,781. BCS Fontana LLC – the temporary entity operating Fontana Village Resort & Marina – has began paying the town $12,000 a month for user fees.
* The council unanimously approved the adoption of the 2020-21 budget. The town had been operating under an interim budget, a move suggested by the Local Government Commission in the wake of the town’s only revenue stream – Fontana Village Resort – not operating at the end of the 2019-20 fiscal year. The interim budget greatly restricted the town’s spending.
* Following closed session, the council approved a $500 bonus for water operator Dennis Pilkington.