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Board of Works and Safety approves retroactive street closure and multiple payments; discusses fire‑truck radio procurement
Summary
At its March 24 meeting, Columbia City’s Board of Works and Safety approved a retroactive street‑closing permit and authorized multiple accounts‑payable disbursements; the board discussed packaging fire radios with a truck loan to secure better rates and reviewed downtown event barrier options.
Columbia City’s Board of Works and Safety met at 5 p.m. Tuesday and approved a retroactive street‑closing permit, several payments, and discussed procurement plans for a new fire truck and radios.
Chair called the meeting to order and moved to approve the March 10 minutes with a notary correction; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The board then noted that public comment had been moved earlier in the agenda.
The board tabled MSF gunner replacement quotes until the next meeting. On the larger procurement issue, members discussed including radios with the planned fire‑truck purchase to get a more favorable financing package. A board member said vendors would not match loan rates if radios were purchased separately and recommended packaging the radios with the truck purchase to avoid higher interest rates. "None of them came back with a close to the interest rate that we're gonna be paying if we include it with the fire truck," the Committee member said.
The board also reviewed downtown event safety, agreeing that organizers should prevent vehicles from entering festival areas. The Chair said the city is weighing whether to buy or rent concrete barriers for larger events and asked staff to research barrier types and pricing.
On permits and payments, the board approved retroactive street‑closing permits for parking in front of 305 West New York. The Committee member moved to pay accounts payable of $188,642.05 (vouchers dated 03/24/2026); that motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Separate motions to pay $956,558.30 for EMT payments and $273,168 for the payroll pay file were also moved, seconded and approved unanimously.
The Chair gave a brief parks/recreation update, noting an opening‑day event that will include roughly 570 children and coaches who will parade downtown. A police representative reported staffing updates, functioning tornado sirens, an appreciation event with Mission Barbecue, and recent traffic enforcement activity on U.S. 30.
The meeting concluded with reminders about spring break and adjournment. The board did not take final action on the MSF gunner quotes and left follow‑up on barrier pricing and radio procurement to staff.
Votes at a glance: - Approval of March 10 minutes (with notary change): motion moved by Chair; outcome: approved unanimously. - Retroactive street‑closing permit for parking areas at 305 West New York: motion moved by Chair; outcome: approved unanimously. - Accounts payable $188,642.05 (vouchers dated 03/24/2026): motion moved by Committee member; outcome: approved unanimously. - EMT payments $956,558.30: motion moved by Committee member; outcome: approved unanimously. - Payroll pay file $273,168: motion moved by Committee member; outcome: approved unanimously.
The board set the MSF gunner replacement quotes aside for the next meeting and requested staff to return with final pricing options for barricades and updated loan timing for the truck/radio package.
