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Fire chief recommends $11,500 contract for Fire Station 2 garage repairs
Summary
Fire Chief Bushy told the East Grand Forks council the 25-year-old Fire Station 2 garage needs a new roof, siding, fascia and soffit; he recommended awarding the work to JC Renovations and proceeding this year, while council members raised questions about materials, durability and color matching.
Fire Chief Bushy told the East Grand Forks City Council at a July 8 work session that Fire Station 2’s garage — about 25 years old — needs a new roof, siding, fascia and soffit and should be repaired this year rather than waiting on the 2026 building maintenance fund.
Chief Bushy said the city received two written proposals: one from ABC Seamless and one from JC Renovations, and recommended awarding the project to JC Renovations for $11,500 and moving the work forward in 2025. “The garage is 25 years old and it needs some repairs,” Chief Bushy said, listing a new roof, siding, fascia and soffit as the primary needs.
Council members pressed for specifics. Mr. Pravinsky said he reviewed the estimates and expressed hesitation about repeatedly awarding work to smaller contractors after past problems with city hall’s roof; he asked whether the lower bid represented a material downgrade. Chief Bushy explained that ABC’s bid included steel siding while JC Renovations quoted vinyl. Mr. Pravinsky asked how long vinyl would last compared with steel and said he did not want a repeat of previous issues where contractors did not have materials on hand.
Mr. Riapel, who asked several technical questions about the bids, said he had some personal familiarity with JC Renovations: “He’s one of our paid on-call firefighters. He’s been doing this for, I believe, five years,” Mr. Riapel said, adding he had not received negative feedback about the contractor and that JC had identified a material supplier for the job.
Council member Mr. Helms asked whether trim and paint would be included; Chief Bushy said staff could look at painting trim as well, noting that trim condition would likely reflect the building’s 25-year age.
The chief’s recommendation to award to JC Renovations was discussed but no motion to award or formal vote on the contract was recorded in the work session transcript. Council did not finalize a contract decision during the meeting.
Next steps noted in the session: staff plans to move the project forward in 2025 if council directs, and will follow up with details about materials, color matching and any necessary procurement formalities.
