Montrose council approves equipment purchases, service contracts and pay changes in April meeting

Montrose’s City Council approved a package of budget and procurement measures on April 13 that the city says will support public safety, public works and scheduled capital projects.

The council unanimously approved the Montrose Fire Department’s 2025 annual report and several related items, including a policy change to raise training pay and call pay for firefighters and purchases of equipment. The council approved resolution 2026-10 to raise training pay from $15 to $20 per authorized training event and to increase call pay from $12.50 to $20 per call; the motion passed with two abstentions and the measure recorded as passing by a 3–2 margin with the abstentions noted. Fire Department staff also received authorization to buy 30 helmets and replacement fronts from McQueen Equipment (about $14,340 plus $1,600) and accepted a $2,500 Minnesota DNR match grant to buy new pagers; council approved a purchase of 10 new pagers for $6,185.23.

“We ended the year with 316 calls,” the fire-department presenter told the council, and noted $328,500 in property loss for 2025. The department asked the council to approve the annual report so it could be published and shared with partner agencies; the council granted that request.

Public Works projects and maintenance measures were also approved. Council authorized pavement-management work after reviewing four bids for chip seal and crack filling, approved an approximately $106,000 contract package to repair a railroad crossing and related street spots, and authorized $23,283 to replace failing soft-starts at the Rolling Meadows lift station to restore full pump redundancy. Separately, council approved $3,762.50 to repair a pretreatment auger at the wastewater treatment plant.

Parks projects cleared the council. The council approved allowing local nonprofits to run concession stands at city ball fields during events, and approved allocating $2,500 from the Parks & Rec budget for music at Hometown Days. Council also approved lighting and electrical work at Veterans Park and the park shelter, including a roughly $5,200 option to mount floodlights on shelters and an additional $3,500 to finish shelter electrical work.

In financial housekeeping, council approved a resolution to transfer $52,173 in leftover Montrose Meadows debt-schedule funds into the general capital projects fund to support street work.

What’s next: Staff will return with loan documents for the wastewater regionalization project and a roofing/painting bid recommendation for the fire station at a later council meeting.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 2026-10 (fire training and call pay increase): approved (passes; recorded with two abstentions). - Resolution 2026-17 (30 fire helmets + fronts): approved, 5–0. - Resolution 2026-18 (accept DNR $2,500 match grant for pagers): approved, 5–0. - Resolution 2026-19 (purchase 10 pagers, $6,185.23): approved, 5–0. - Resolution 2026-15 (apply to Clean Water Revolving Fund for regional wastewater work): approved, 5–0. - Rolling Meadows lift station repairs ($23,283): approved, 5–0. - Pretreatment auger repair ($3,762.50): approved, 5–0. - Pavement-management bid award (chip seal/crack fill): approved, 5–0. - Railroad crossing and spot repairs (~$106,000): approved, 5–0. - Waste Management garbage/recycling contract (three-year term): approved, 5–0. - Resolution 2026-20 (community solar services agreement): approved, 5–0. - Resolution 2026-16 (transfer $52,173 to general capital): approved, 5–0.

Sources: City staff presentations and roll-call votes at the April 13 council meeting. The council’s approvals will be reflected in upcoming agendas and the city’s published meeting minutes.