GARNETT — The city of Garnett is appealing a decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency not to cover city’s expenses for generating electricity during July’s windstorm. City manager Joyce Martin said FEMA’s decision will cost the city nearly $60,000. The city has its own electrical utility but doesn’t usually generate its own power and normally buys electricity from other utilities except during times of heavy electrical demand, when power prices skyrocket, or emergencies. When the windstorm knocked down electrical lines connecting the city and Kansas City Power & Light, the city had to crank up its own generators. FEMA agreed to reimburse the city for damaged power lines and poles but said it wouldn’t pay for the city’s costs in generating power or overtime for power plant employees. Martin said she believes the expenses qualify for emergency reimbursement because the power plant wouldn’t have been otherwise started up. She said it could be as long as six months before there’s a final decision on the appeal.
