Sunday, February 10, 2013
Most outages were repaired within 25-75 minutes
With the worst of the storm out of the way, Town Manager Bill Ross reported few problems and power outages related to the snowstorm sweeping though the northeast. Noting that the town is in good shape, most of the outages occurring in Mansfield were quickly repaired during Friday afternoon and evening. At 12:45 p.m., there was an outage that lasted 25 minutes on Bonney Lane and Erik Road, effecting about 250 customers. Later in the evening at 9:00 p.m., there was a 75 minute power outage on the Otis Street end of Balcolm Street, effecting 78 customers. An additional outage on Balcom Street lasted 40 minutes and effected 78 customers. There were some scatted low wires and service at a home on Mill Street is being repaired. One of the two …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Mansfield Electric's Gary Babin says preparations for snow this year are already underway.
Gary Babin, director of the Mansfield Municipal Electric Department, said that winter storm preparation is the next step in the department’s plans. "We feel like we have a pretty good handle on how to approach storms,” he said. “The logistical preparation is the same… Tree trimming is all down.” Babin said that personnel is the major difference between wind-based storms and snow storms. Snow storms, by nature, leave less light to work in and are more taxing on people doing repairs, and therefore take more time (both in work and in preparation). “The amount of time we put in consecutively is pretty similiar, but some of the conditions are different,” he said. “The snow gives us a lot less daylight to work. That makes a big difference. As a …
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Preparation and staff allocation a key factor for Mansfield's success during Sandy.
Mansfield Electric director Gary Babin said that good preparation was key in the minimal damage and loss of service in Mansfield during Sandy. He said that, out of the 36 calls for loss of electricity, 25 of them were related to one incident on Lakeview Avenue and were only out of service for an hour and 45 minutes. He said the municipal electricity system Mansfield has in place was crucial for the quick service. “One of the things that we have is more people that can work in a smaller area,” Babin said. “Also, most of our employees are residents, some grew up in Mansfield, so they’re good at getting around town and can often anticipate what will occur.” Babin said that, throughout the year, Mansfield Electric and the Department of Public …
Friday, October 19, 2012
Solar facilities in Mansfield not affecting revenue for the electric department.
Mansfield's electric department will not be affected by large-scale private solar generation facilities, according to the Mansfield Municipal Electric Department. Since the implementation of such a facility, like the one the Miller Recycling Group uses, there has been only a negligible drop in electricity purchase by the company. "The nonexistent impact on the utility is partly because at the end of the day your still selling electricity to these two companies," light commissioner Olivier Kozlowski said. Town manager William Ross said that the solar generators actually benefit the Mansfield rate payers, albeit at a rate of fractions of pennies an hour. "It's interesting that some of the benefit that accrues from individual business owners…
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The following is from National Grid.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Tuesday, May 8, 2012
National Grid will take to the skies in the coming days, weather permitting, to conduct annual patrols of some key overhead power lines in several Massachusetts communities, including Mansfield. While Mansfield is one of many communities with its own electric department, it still buys power from all over and uses National Grid's lines to get that power in certain circumstances. In addition to the annual flights, many of these lines were inspected in 2011 immediately following Tropical Storm Irene and the late October snowstorm. Inspections will be conducted in the following communities on Friday May 18, 2012: Attleboro North Attleboro Foxboro Plainville Franklin…
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Selectman say they might refund some surplus.
Cash on hand is rare these days, but the Mansfield Electric Department has lots of it - about $17 million, to be exact. Members of the light commission, who are also the selectmen, are now suggesting residential, business, and industrial rate-payers share in the wealth. How that gift to the public will manifest itself in the new year has not been decided, but commissioner and chairman of selectmen Jess Aptowitz wants it to come in a tangible form. "It should be a one-time bonus," suggested Aptowitz during a discussion of the topic Wednesday. "The rate payers paid this - let's give some back. A one-time shot sticks right out there." Commissioner Olivier Kozlowski agreed with the idea of giving back to all those who contributed. "This cash …
Friday, October 21, 2011
Mansfield dealing with the loss of business from the chocolate factory and getting ready for solar power.
Mansfield has a draft contract, allowing energy saving customers to sell power back to the town in the event that their solar or wind array generates more electricity than they can use. Selectmen voted 5-0 to adopt the electric department's proposal for a net metering tariff on Wednesday, following existing state guidelines. The tariff is based on calculations of power output the town will assemble for each individual customer in the future - right now there is only one, an industrial property at 241 Francis Avenue owned by VAM Realty Trust that will be equipped with solar generators. The regulations apply to three classes of customers, depending on the output of the solar or wind arrangement they might have. Class 1 residential customers …
Friday, September 9, 2011
Mansfield Electric and Town Departments praised for efforts during the Tropical Storm Irene.
Mansfield's public works staff, electric department, and public safety personnel scored mostly A-plus ratings from the public, selectmen, and Town Manager Bill Ross after the area was clobbered by Hurricane Irene last weekend. But Ross told the board Wednesday he and staff are not content to bask in the praise from their own hometown as well as nearby communities, whose residents came to Mansfield to plug in, eat up, and buy ice. Ross said the storm's intensity did what such events always do - it uncovered weaknesses in the system that can be corrected before another deluge fells trees and cuts power. "We need to concentrate on communication," Ross told the board in a review of the complex procedures that were set in place both before and …
Bob Havey
11:40 am on Thursday, November 17, 2011
"This is a horse we're going to beat a few more times." Mr. Aptowitz, you really have a way with words. more ›