Alpena Township approves motion to acquire emergency generator
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ALPENA - The Alpena Township Board of Trustees on Monday approved a letter of understanding that assigns a county-owned emergency generator to the township for backup power during outages and disasters.
The agreement is between the Charter Township of Alpena and the County of Alpena through its emergency manager. It does not transfer ownership. Title remains with the county unless a separate written agreement later provides otherwise. The township accepts responsibility for the unit's care, routine maintenance, security, and authorized use.
Township Supervisor Abbi Kaszubowski tied the request to storms that have already tested the community.
"We have learned a lot from ice storms and flooding in recent years," Kaszubowski said. "Sgt. Ritter reached out because he found some generators for us through the county."
Sgt. J.P. Ritter, Alpena County emergency management director, told the board the generators were obtained through his work with the Alpena County Sheriff's Office and his previous military training, which has allowed the county to acquire surplus equipment.
The county is assigning the generators to townships for backup power.
"We are trying to get those out to townships to be able to use for backup power, whether it's a township hall, a fire hall, or wherever they see fit," Ritter said.
He said training will be provided. Routine maintenance will be the township's responsibility.
Clerk Michele Palevich moved to approve the letter of understanding. Kaszubowski supported the motion, and the board approved it.
The letter, prepared by the Alpena County Office of Emergency Management, covers emergency preparedness, response, and the continuity of essential governmental services.
The township may use the generator for preparedness exercises, emergency response and recovery, essential services during power outages, and support of designated emergency facilities or critical infrastructure. It may not be sold, leased, loaned, or otherwise provided to another entity without written authorization from the county emergency manager.
Once a location is assigned, the generator is to remain there unless the county emergency manager authorizes a move. The township must protect it from theft, vandalism, misuse, and unauthorized operation, and only trained, authorized personnel may operate it.
Unless the parties agree otherwise in writing, the township pays ordinary operating expenses and routine maintenance, including fuel and fluids needed for emergency readiness. It must inspect and test the unit, keep service records, and promptly report mechanical problems, damage, loss or theft.
The county may still call the generator back into wider service. The emergency manager may request deployment elsewhere during a countywide emergency or other critical need, with advance notice when circumstances permit. In an immediate emergency, the parties are to coordinate as conditions allow.
If the unit is lost, stolen or significantly damaged, the township must notify the county promptly. The parties are to cooperate on documentation and, when appropriate, insurance or other reimbursement. Each side remains responsible for its own acts and omissions, and the agreement does not waive governmental immunity.
The township must carry applicable insurance and keep records of inspections, maintenance, fuel use, and significant incidents. The county may inspect the generator or request those records.
The letter takes effect when both sides sign it and continues until it is terminated or replaced in writing. Either party may end it with 30 days' written notice. The county may demand immediate return for an emergency, program requirements, misuse, or another substantial operational need. On return, the township must give back the generator in reasonably good condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted.
The assignment follows a broader county effort to add backup power after severe weather. In October 2025, Alpena County announced it had acquired eight 60-kilowatt MEP-806 generators and a 200-kilowatt generator through the sheriff's office and the county maintenance department. Sheriff Erik Smith and Ritter were credited with securing the equipment.
Monday's vote puts Alpena Township in line for one of those units, on the condition that the county keeps ownership and the right to redeploy the generator if a wider emergency requires it.
Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.