East Grand Forks Water and Light Commission approves 2025 material awards, truck purchases and several administrative items

The East Grand Forks Water and Light Commission on Feb. 19 approved a series of operational and purchasing measures, including awards for its 2025 electrical material bids, purchase of a bucket truck and truck body, and several administrative items such as staff hiring and required annual filings.

Commissioners approved the tabulation of 17 material line items submitted at a Feb. 12 bid opening and recommended awarding each line item to the suppliers listed on the commission’s tabulation. Todd (Water and Light Department staff) told the commission six bids were received and that one low bid failed to meet specifications. "Of the 6 bids, 5 of the suppliers are were recommending to be awarded material," Todd said, and staff recommended awarding the 17 line items as shown on the submitted tabulation. Ron Golstad (utility staff) moved the motion to accept the bid prices as submitted; the motion passed on a roll call vote with all commissioners recorded as yes.

The commission approved two separate bucket-truck purchases. Commissioners voted to award the chassis to CNN Ford for $59,000 and to approve an Altec AT40G bucket-truck body, both on staff recommendation. A staff member said the body supplier attended and crews reviewed the configuration; staff recommended the Altec unit because it best met operational needs. Both motions carried on unanimous roll-call votes.

Commissioners also authorized upgrades to the utility’s load-management system to add automation functionality, approving an authorization to spend "up to a little over $10,000," according to a staff quote. The commission approved the expenditure unanimously.

Administrative and compliance items approved included: acceptance and signature of the 2024 accounts-for-charge-off list (annual review of uncollectible accounts forwarded to first-collections); authorization to post the assistant line foreman vacancy internally and notify civil service to begin recruitment after the recent retirement of Dave Solarski; and acceptance of the annual Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection booklet and associated statement that the department is obligated to interconnect with, and purchase electricity from, qualifying cogenerators and small power producers. Staff noted there are no qualifying facilities to report at this time.

In department reports, staff said transformer deliveries ordered from Border States remain delayed with no new delivery date; staff said they will cancel that order after giving the supplier two extra weeks. Staff also reported the Business Highway 2 lighting project is awaiting final signatures from the North Dakota Department of Transportation and remains otherwise approved to move toward bid/inspection steps. Water operations reported a planned fire-detection integration at the treatment plant (contract with Electro Watchmen Inc.), 2025 lead and copper sampling is scheduled for East Grand Forks this year, and a planned Biota water treatment plant near the McCluskey Canal is in early design discussion.

The meeting concluded after routine departmental updates and a unanimous vote to adjourn.

Votes at a glance: The commission recorded unanimous approval (yes votes recorded for Commissioners Grundy, Quirk, Repaz and Riopelle) for the following motions — approve minutes from the Feb. 5 meeting; approve bills and payroll; accept 2025 material bid tabulation (17 line items); authorize load-management updates up to about $10,000; award CNN Ford $59,000 for a bucket-truck chassis; approve Altec AT40G bucket-truck body; accept 2024 accounts-for-charge-off list; authorize posting assistant line foreman vacancy; and accept/file the Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection booklet and rates.

The commission did not record any formal no, abstain or recusal votes on the motions taken.