Weed council directs staff to move forward with RFP, seeks grants to fund cleanup of fire-damaged Main Street properties

The Weed City Council directed staff to proceed with an RFP to establish a project scope and cost estimates for cleanup of fire-damaged Main Street properties that contain known lead and asbestos hazards. The RFP is intended to produce the engineering and bid-ready documents needed to apply for grants and to select contractors.

Council members said an RFP is necessary to obtain reliable project numbers so the city can apply for grants and evaluate funding options. City manager Dustin and finance staff said existing "Milfire" settlement and general-fund balances could be used to initiate the RFP and cover near-term engineering costs while the city pursues grant reimbursement. "We need to move forward with the RFP so that we can apply for grants," Mayor Parham said, noting the city's prior decision to take ownership of the parcels to allow abatement.

Council also discussed potential surplus and sale of other small parcels as a long-term funding option and asked staff to return with additional analysis. Staff cautioned that some