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Willmar council approves fire department equipment purchases, sets hearing for Waterview easements
Summary
Council approved purchases for a hazardous-materials decontamination system and rescue struts, both funded through prior CIP and public safety funds, and set a public hearing for a senior housing easement vacation; council emphasized preserving matching state/federal capital funds.
The Willmar City Council approved multiple public-safety equipment purchases and scheduled a public hearing for utility-easement vacations tied to a proposed senior housing development.
Frank (staff) asked the council to authorize purchase of a new hazardous materials decontamination system previously included in the 2024 capital improvement plan and identified for ARPA funding; the council approved a motion to buy the unit from Air Shelters USA LLC for up to $25,000 on a 7–0 vote. Frank said the existing system is more than 20 years old and is patched together.
Staff also requested authorization to buy rescue struts, with two quotes received and Alex Air Apparatus the low bidder at $6,800. The council agreed to use about $5,000 of state public safety funds and the remainder from the fire department operations budget; the motion passed 7–0. During discussion council members asked whether the equipment duplicated resources held by the local rescue squad; staff said the purchase would supplement, not replace, regional capabilities and help when rescue squads are engaged elsewhere.
Separately, planning staff Christopher Corbin asked the council to set a public hearing to consider vacating drainage and utility easements on three parcels for the Waterview Senior Housing project east of Ninth Street. Corbin said utilities are requesting 10-foot easements where the preliminary plat currently showed six-foot easements and that staff would provide a stormwater-management plan before the hearing. The council approved setting the hearing on a 7–0 vote.
Council members said they would discuss remaining ARPA and other capital funds in upcoming work sessions; staff noted some ARPA dollars remain to be allocated and must be spent by year-end.
