Council approves truck and senior-center HVAC work after public questions about single bids

A resident who participated by Zoom earlier in the meeting, John House (104 Jefferson St.), raised concern about a single bid for new furnaces at the senior center and asked the council to seek at least two additional bids rather than awarding work to a familiar contractor. "I used to be an HVAC contractor myself...I would like at least two more bids before you give that to a one contractor," House said during public comment.

Later in the meeting Parks & Recreation Director Dayton presented procurement items. For fleet replacement, Dayton said staff received two quotes for a 2026 Ford F-450 flatbed with dump body (one from Ewald at $79,604, one from Griffin Ford at $79,554.50) and recommended purchase from Griffin Ford; the council authorized purchase not to exceed $78,554.50 with the remaining overage to be covered from Fund 16 interest. Dayton said the vehicle will replace a 1999 F-350 and will be used for hauling, tree installation, benches and seasonal plowing.

On HVAC, Dayton explained a failing 1991 unit prompted adding two replacement units to this year's CIP and staff recommended Lennox units with two wireless thermostats for a total cost not to exceed $11,890. Council members asked about bid thresholds and sole-source justifications; staff said vendor familiarity, unit consistency across city facilities and small project size motivated the approach. On a motion, council approved the HVAC purchase.

Council carried both procurement motions by voice vote. The meeting record shows elected officials and staff discussed trade-in values, local vendor availability and consistency of equipment brands when weighing multiple bids.