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Votes at a glance: East Grand Forks City Council, Jan. 20, 2026
Summary
Summary of actions: council approved rezoning for solar, a school solar permit, $12.54M bond resolution, a $261,320 trail contract, parks equipment for $132,545.26, began a Campbell Library director hiring process, authorized claims of $857,476.33; a police vehicle purchase failed for lack of a second.
At its Jan. 20 meeting the East Grand Forks City Council recorded the following actions and outcomes:
- Rezoning (Item 10): Approved rezoning Lot 1, Block 1 (Scholarship Addition) from R1 to PUB to allow a ground-mounted solar energy system. Motion moved by Karen Peterson; passed by unanimous roll call.
- Special-use permit (Item 11): Approved Independent School District 595’s permit to construct a ground-mounted solar system at Central Middle School. Moved by Tammy Schumacher; passed by unanimous roll call.
- Resolution 26-01-15 (Item 12): Authorized issuance and sale of approximately $12,540,000 in general obligation sales-tax revenue bonds, Series 2026A, to finance remodeling of the civic center and reconstruction of the VFW Memorial Arena. Moved by Tim Ripel; passed by unanimous roll call. Municipal advisor Chris Hogan (Baker Tilly) outlined the sale timeline and repayment from sales tax revenue.
- Trail improvement contract (Item 13): Awarded 2026 City Project No. 3 to RJ Zaval and Suns for $261,320. Moved by Dale Helms; passed by unanimous roll call.
- Police vehicle purchase (Item 14): A motion to authorize purchase of a 2026 Ford Police Interceptor SUV from Tenvord Ford and equipment from Guardian Fleet Safety (total quoted $66,519.40) failed for lack of a second. No roll-call vote occurred; Council Member Dale Helms later said his reluctance to support the purchase stemmed from a desire to operate vehicles longer (citing roughly 100,000 miles before replacement).
- Parks equipment (Item 15): Authorized purchase of a 2026 Toro Groundsmaster 4110D and an Erskine snowthrower from MTI Distributing for $132,545.26. Parks staff explained comparable alternatives were limited and the Toro fit existing fleet preferences; life expectancy was given as about 20 years. Motion passed on unanimous roll call.
- Library hiring (Item 16): Authorized starting a hiring process for the Campbell Library director position following a reported resignation/retirement. Moved by Dale Helms; passed by unanimous roll call.
- Claims and payroll: Authorized payment of accounts payable invoices totaling $857,476.33 and approved the Jan. 9, 2026 payroll. Motion passed by unanimous roll call.
These recorded outcomes reflect votes and motions taken on the Jan. 20 agenda. Where a formal roll call was recorded, the meeting transcript shows the council voting unanimously in favor of the listed approvals; the police vehicle item failed when it did not receive a second.
