Council reviews plan to accept 1937 fire engine, enclose historic displays and pursue solar grant

North Bend city staff asked the council during its Sept. 8 joint work session to accept the return of a 1937 fire engine and to proceed with construction drawings and grant applications to enclose that engine and a Mercy boxcar as part of a visitor information center.

The presentation said the antique engine was previously donated to a volunteers association and now would be donated back to the city so it could become part of a permanent display at the new visitor plaza. The city administrator told council members the fire engine would be city property once accepted and that the long-term goal is to display it under an enclosed structure so the public can view it.

The council was also asked to approve a contract with HGE (architectural services) to prepare construction documents for the upper plaza, accessible pathways and restroom facilities for the visitor information center, and to combine those construction documents with the previously approved T-Mobile Plaza work so the project can be bid as one package.

Ralph (city staff) described the upper plaza plan and said the construction documents include the structure to enclose the Mercy boxcar and the 1937 engine. He told the council that a state renewable-energy grant with a Sept. 19 deadline would pay up to 50% of an eligible solar installation and requires EV chargers as part of the project. He said the gross cost for the enclosure and associated solar installation was roughly $130,000, and that applying for the grant could reduce the city's net cost of the structure from an $85,000 budgeted figure to approximately $65,000 after the potential 50% grant share. Ralph also said incorporating solar could allow energy generated at the plaza to be sent back to the grid and to reduce the plaza's ongoing electricity costs.

Macy (city staff) described locating and confirming historical minutes that showed the city originally purchased the engine in 1937 and later actions affecting ownership in 1980; staff said volunteers had maintained and restored the engine while it was in their care.

No final council vote on accepting the donation or awarding construction contracts is recorded in the work-session transcript. Staff presented the resolution number for acceptance of the donation (Resolution 3373) as an item for the upcoming regular meeting.

The council discussion also covered schedule and sequencing: staff recommended pouring concrete slabs and placing the boxcar with a crane before finishing the T‑Mobile Plaza to avoid damaging finished surfaces. Ralph estimated the construction documents would go out for bid in October and that, if schedule permits, the contract award could come by December. He said building in winter is feasible because the work is primarily concrete.

Actions noted for the record in the work session included presentation of Resolution 3373 to accept the donated 1937 engine and a request to enter a contract with HGE for construction documents for the visitor center and upper plaza; the transcript indicates those items were being prepared for formal action at a subsequent meeting rather than decided in the work session.

The council and staff also discussed potential inclusion of EV charging and optional battery storage for resilience; staff said battery backup would add roughly 25% to the solar system cost and that the current grant opportunity does not require batteries but does require EV chargers.

If adopted at the regular meeting, the items would create a permanent, enclosed exhibit for the historic fire engine and Mercy boxcar at the new visitor information center and could reduce the city's up-front cost for the enclosure through the renewable-energy grant.