Montrose council awards up to $130,000 for fire station roof, approves interior and exterior painting

The Montrose City Council on May 18 approved a full replacement of the fire station roof and a separate contract for interior and exterior painting.

Kevin, representing the fire department, told the council the station roof is about 30 years old and has required repeated repairs. "The roof is now 30 years old. We've been chasing leaks up on the roof for the last 5, 6, 7 years, and it's getting more and more expensive every time you get it fixed," he said, arguing a full replacement would be more durable.

Kevin reviewed competing bids and recommended awarding resolution 2026-25 to Kingdom Builders of Howard Lake with a "not to exceed" cost of $130,000 and a modest contingency to cover incidental findings during the project. Council moved to approve the resolution; the motion passed unanimously (vote recorded as 5-0). Kevin also requested authorization for himself or Jackie to sign related documents to proceed, which the council approved.

On a separate action, Kevin presented bids for station painting and recommended Fresh Paint of St. Paul be awarded the work (resolution 2026-26). He said bids and specifications in the packet showed comparable materials; the council approved the painting resolution (vote recorded as 5-0). The packet and discussion referenced an approximate project cost of $30,000 for painting.

Council members who spoke during the debate expressed support for addressing long-standing maintenance needs at the station and moved both items forward without amendment. The council did not attach additional conditions beyond standard contract signature authorization.

Next steps: the council authorized staff to sign contracts and proceed with the scheduled work. No implementation timeline beyond authorization was specified in the council discussion.