Moving ahead with remodeling old garage for ambulance facility
BOYCEVILLE — The village board moved ahead with plans to convert the former Chevrolet garage facility into a new home for the ambulance service.
Boyceville Village President Gib Krueger explained to the village board at its regular meeting Monday night, January 14th that the Boyceville Community Ambulance District needed one of its municipalities to take the lead to get the project completed.
The village board also approved borrowing some $248,000 from the state trust fund to finance the remodeling project. The project includes making a two-stall area for the ambulance storage and new bathrooms and meeting and training area along with several bedrooms for ambulance personnel to sleep.
When completed the ambulance service will be moved from the present location in the fire station at the corner of Center Street and Main Street to the location a block away on Tiffany Street near the Boyceville School. Moving the ambulances out of the fire station will free up needed space for the fire department. The village board did not discuss a completion date for the project. All members of the board approved this action. At the end of the discussion on the ambulance facility President Krueger noted, “this has turned into a long painful battle.”
New Pickup
The village board approved the purchase of a new three-quarter ton pickup for the public works department. Public Works Director Don Rose presented prices for new pickups to the board. He had obtained prices on four brands of trucks and presented them to the board. The prices for the extended cab pickup ranged from $24,000 to $30,857. Rose indicated that he favored the extended cab because they could have their tools in the rear seat area of the pickup and not in the open bed.
After much discussion the board gave Rose the power to negotiate for a Ford from Northtown or a GMC from Johnson. Both dealerships are in Menomonie. The price of the GMC was some $584 higher. The board also authorized the purchase of running boards and seat covers for the new vehicle. Rose told the board that it will take six to eight weeks for the vehicle to arrive.
Other Action
In his report to the village board, Police Chief Dan Wellumson noted that the department had handled 662 incidents last year. President Krueger questioned Wellumson about an item in his report about theft of services/labor and the chief noted that it was someone dumping trash in a dumpster that belonged to someone else.
Rose reported that they had sold a used village pickup, a 1995 Chevrolet at auction for $3375.00.
The board also discussed the freezer problem at the Community Center and the progress of removal of a home on Main Street that was damaged by fire and heard from Eric S. Turner who is the director of the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation.