Council approves $20,002 painting contract for Red House, requires lead-safe practices

The Friendship Heights Village Council approved a contract on July 13 to have Medrano Brothers paint the exterior of the Red House for $20,002.02, following required lead-safe procedures.

Chair Martha Soult presented the motion after the project manager, Jim Wilson, summarized 18 proposals and recommended Medrano Brothers based on proposal completeness and quality. Wilson said one bid was an outlier at $136,000, but most were in the $20,000–$49,000 range. He recommended that village staff be permitted to approve small, non-discretionary alternates so the work could proceed without waiting for another council meeting.

The council discussed lead-paint risks and mitigation. Wilson said the building's age makes lead paint likely and that the contractor would work with an industrial hygienist to identify safe preparation steps. "The hygienist will approve whatever that is," Wilson said, adding that the contractor will identify the prep and mitigation process in the contract. The village manager confirmed that small optional add-ons (a masonry repointing allowance and a potential porch-deck replacement pricing) are modest and would not require separate council approval if they fall within the village's acquisitions policy thresholds.

Martha Soult moved the formal contract approval, citing the recommendation and lead-safe language. The motion was seconded and the chair called for a voice/hand vote; members voted in favor and the chair declared the motion passed.

The council asked staff to alert the council if unforeseen extensive lead remediation or substantially higher costs are discovered so the body can consider alternate plans. The project manager estimated painting and associated porch repairs would take roughly three to four weeks once work began.