FAIRHOPE, Ala. — At Monday’s regular meeting, the City Council approved the electric department’s request to seek bids without public advertisement for a transformer to replace the one at the Church Street Electric Substation that failed last week, causing a fire at the substation and power outages in the central business district.

A special City Council meeting to consider emergency bids received and award contracts for the replacement transformer and related machinery has been set for Monday, 5:30 p.m., in the conference room at City Hall.

“We will be hard-pressed to make it through the summer without this transformer in place,” said Scott Sligh, electric department superintendent, at Monday’s meeting.

Sligh said the transformer at the substation at the corner of Church Street and Morphy Avenue failed Wednesday afternoon at about 1:30 p.m., but power was restored within 30 minutes by routing electricity through other substations.

Sligh described the interior of the transformer as blackened by fire, and that an assessment will be conducted to determine the cause of the fire and power failure. A news release issued by the city stated that “the failed transformer contained non-PCB oil.”

Sligh presented a substation replacement list to the council, describing the items needed and quotes he had obtained from several vendors.

The total replacement cost was listed at $457,891, itemized as follows for the largest expenditures and the supply time required:

(1) 15MVa substation transformer, $252,500, 12 weeks;

(2) three 889A regulators, $106,635, 12 weeks; and

(3) two breakers, $40,882, 12 weeks.

The replacement list also stated that two alternative quotes for the transformer had been received for $288,761 and $305,640, with supply times of 28 and 18 weeks respectively. The list did not include the names of the vendor companies.

Awarding contracts through bids but without public advertisement is authorized by Alabama law, which states: “In case of emergency affecting public health, safety or convenience, so declared in writing by the awarding authority, setting forth the nature of the danger to public health, safety or convenience involved in delay, contracts may be let to the extent necessary to meet the emergency without public advertisement. Such actions and the reasons therefor shall immediately be made public by the awarding authority.”

At Monday’s meeting, the council discussed the procedure for letting contracts without advertisement, and did pass a motion unanimously declaring an emergency to enable the electric department to proceed.

The city did not declare the emergency in writing at Monday’s meeting with the reasons set out, but the city attorney said Friday that the minutes of the meeting will reflect the nature of the emergency as presented by Sligh and discussed by the council.

“I believe we followed the spirit if not the letter of the law,” City Attorney Marion “Tut” Wynne said. “It might have been better for a writing to have been presented at the time of the council’s action. However, I believe the minutes will suffice as a writing, and further, the matter will be clarified at the upcoming meeting (when the bids are considered).”

Although the bid information was not advertised by publication in local newspapers, it was advertised on the city Web site. The first deadline for bids to be received was 2 p.m., Thursday, March 26. That deadline was extended twice last week, with the current deadline at 1 p.m., Monday, March 30.

City officials stated that a special meeting of the council could be scheduled to consider the substation replacement bids before the public hearing on the proposed sales tax ordinance. Yesterday, official publication of that meeting, in accordance with the law, was received by e-mail at the Fairhope Courier.

The tax public hearing starts 30 minutes later in Council Chambers.