Colfax approves spending $57,000 on street projects
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Village Board has accepted a bid of $57,566 from Oium Asphalt Paving Inc. out of Eleva for street projects to be completed this summer.
Scott Gunnufson, village president, noted at the Colfax Village Board’s July 8 meeting that the bid did not include base course.
Rick Johnson, village trustee, said that if base course were to be included in the project, the village would have to advertise for bids again because it would be a different project.
“We did it this way with understanding that no base course (would be used) …These are quick fixes that will last a few years,” said Rand Bates, director of public works.
“We did it this way this time to save money,” said Beverly Schauer, village trustee.
“We did it this way to save up money to do other projects,” said Susan Olson village trustee.
The scope of the work will include saw cutting the existing asphalt, removing it, and resurfacing with two to 2.5 inches of hot mix asphalt.
The areas that will be patched include Railroad Avenue at a cost of $2,858 and $3,840; Balsam Street for $8,778; Cedar Street for $5,932; Roosevelt Street for $4,501.
Railroad Avenue from state Highway 40 to West Street will cost $31,657 and will include milling the existing asphalt and resurfacing with an inch and a half of hot mix asphalt.
The work on Railroad Avenue to West Street is expected to last the longest of all of the projects.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Village Board:
• Approved bartender operator’s licenses for Jamie Kuesel and Leslie Moen.
• Approved a domesticated chicken license for Yvette Edwards, 810 Oliver Lane.
• Approved referring the mold problem in the municipal building basement back to the property committee. Representatives for Servpro said the worst areas of the basement would have to be blocked off and the plaster and Sheetrock removed where mold is visible, reported Jackie Ponto, village administrator-clerk-treasurer.
• Approved authorizing the village administrator to move forward with a project to build a three-quarters wall with a door in the clerk’s office.
• Approved a pay application for Ayres Associates for payment for $40,399.32 for the Park Drive Project. The original contract price was $192,916,80, and the village is still retaining $4,822.92. Village Trustee Rick Johnson said he had observed runoff problems from the site of the new nursing home. Lisa Fleming, an engineer with Ayres Associates, said it would take a couple of years to stabilize the site and that the runoff observed is typical of construction sites.
• Learned that work is progressing on painting and repairing the water tower.
• Approved a mutual aid request from Eau Claire County for police officers to work at Country Jam. Jackie Ponto, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, contacted Colfax Police Chief Pete Gehring by telephone and put him on speaker phone to talk to the village board. The Colfax police officers will be working for the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Department and not for Country Jam, and the officers will be working strictly on their own time and not village time, Police Chief Gehring said.