Colfax approves new locks and keys for $1,500
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The truth of the matter is — no one knows how many keys exist for village buildings or exactly who has the keys.
To address the problem, the Colfax Village Board at the September 28 meeting approved contracting with Chippewa Valley Lock and Key for a little more than $1,500 to re-key the locks or install new locks at Tom Prince Memorial Park, the public works building and the police department.
The Little League teams have had equipment stolen from their storage area at the ball park, said Rand Bates, director of public works.
“Who knows who has keys?” Bates asked.
“I do not know how many people have keys (all together),” he said.
Over the years, people associated with the softball association or the Little League teams have had keys and have given keys to others to make copies, so that no one knows how many keys there are or who has them, explained Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer.
Beginning with the 2016 season, the Village of Colfax will have full control of the keys for the ball park, she said.
People who receive keys next year must turn them in at the end of season, and if the keys are not turned in, the people who received the keys will be required to pay a fee, she said.
The new keys will be “do not duplicate” keys, Niggemann said.
The Colfax Police Department, the department of public works and the concession building at the ball field all have money available in the budget for the new keys, Niggemann said.
According to information included in the village board agenda packet, the ball field/concession stand budget has $1,275 available in the budget; the public works department has $2,755.22 available; and the Colfax Police Department has $1,169.33 available.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved contracting with Chippewa Valley Lock & Key in the amount of $520.95 for the public works buildings; $487.50 for the ball field concession building; and $529 for the Colfax Police Department.
Other Business
In other business, the Colfax Village Board:
• Approved a training request for Michael Madrid to attend field officer training to enable him to properly train new hires for the Colfax Police Department. The cost of the training is $850. Police Chief Bill Anderson included a note on the training request that he had contacted Nicolet College and was informed the college is looking into government grants to cover the tuition. If grant money is available, $350 would be refunded to Colfax.
• Approved a facility rental request from Sophia Secraw for the Colfax Fairgrounds for August 13, 2016.
• Approved trading up to a new Bobcat track loader from Bobcat Plus with the municipal rollout program. The advantage of the rollout program and trading up to the new model is that the village’s Bobcat will always be under warranty, Bates said. The trade-up will cost the village $2,550. Bobcat Plus will switch the wiring for the grader to work with the new equipment. The initial Bobcat track loader was purchased in August of 2014 for $52,250.
• Approved a motion to keep the current obligation with Holden Church for the food stand at the Colfax Fairgrounds. Holden Church is planning to build a new food stand. No details were included in the discussion or in the motion as to the details of the obligation for the village or the church and no information was included as to which entity owns the existing building, which entity would own the new building, which entity would be responsible for insuring the building, which entity is responsible for the maintenance or which entity would receive the income if the building were rented out to a third party for an event. The footprint of the new building is expected to be somewhat wider than the existing food stand, said Scott Gunnufson, village president. Gunnufson did not have any details about the dimensions of the new building.