During the work session, council members reviewed bids for the Fire Station #1 expansion project, presented by Engineering Director Tim Begley. The low bid came in more than $125,000 over the budgeted amount (approximately $148,000 over when including the alternate for radiant heated floors in the bay areas). Staff presented the proposed floor plan, which adds three upper-level truck bays connected to the existing building, along with three lower-level bays on a different elevation, providing needed indoor space for equipment currently stored outside and exposed to the elements.

Council explored options to reduce costs while maximizing usable space. One approach involved rebidding with a smaller footprint—eliminating the lower bays and front corridor (roughly one-third of the added floor space)—which was estimated to cut bids by about a quarter to a third. Phased construction (building the upper bays now and adding lower bays later) was also discussed as a possibility, though concerns were raised about higher overall costs and the drawbacks of piecemeal building.

A key recommendation emerged to drop the radiant floor heating alternate (which would use gas heaters as the primary heat source instead) and proceed with the full project scope. This adjustment would bring the project to only about $30,000 over budget while securing all the planned space immediately. Council members emphasized that additional covered space for vehicles and equipment was more important than optimal heating. Staff planned to provide additional details, including contingency amounts, for further consideration at the next meeting.