Streets committee recommends moving forward with $400,000 Third Ave. project

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX  —  The Colfax Village Board’s streets committee is recommending that the village complete the Third Avenue street project this year at an estimated cost of $400,000.

The streets committee met April 18 at the Colfax Rescue Squad conference room to review the videotape of the televised sewer lines on Third Avenue, to find out project costs and funding options and to decide on a recommendation.

After watching the videotape of the sewer lines along Third Avenue, there seemed to be little doubt in the minds of committee members and the 15 or so village residents at the meeting that Third Avenue should be a priority for street projects.

The televising of the sewer line started in front of the Carl and Polly Rudi residence and extended east for 270 feet until the camera could not go any farther because of tree roots.

The sewer line is made of concrete, but as the camera shows, the sand is mostly worn away leaving jagged, exposed aggregate, noted Rand Bates, director of public works.

A number of cracks were observable in the sewer line along with one large hole.

The Third Avenue project would extend east from Park Drive to Dunn Street.

Mike Boyd, retired director of public works, noted that when there were problems on Third Avenue to the west from Park Drive to Main Street, and the sewer line was dug up, “it looked just like that.”

The sewer line was so compromised that “as soon as we took the dirt away, you could stomp on it and crush the concrete,” Boyd said.

$400,000

Although the initial estimate to do the Third Avenue street project was $325,000, the revised estimate is around $420,000, said Lisa Fleming, a civil engineer with Ayres Associates.

The village has already paid $23,000 toward engineering on Third Avenue, so the revised cost would be $398,000, she said.

Asphalt “is cheap right now, but it could go up quickly,” Fleming said.

The cost estimate for the roadway, including contingency and engineering, is $282,000, according to information Fleming provided for the committee.

The village’s current debt capacity is $1.06 million, which is the total amount that could be borrowed. At the end of this year, after some of the existing debt is paid off, the village will have a debt capacity of $1.2 million, said Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer.

According to financing options from Dairy State Bank that Niggemann presented to the committee, a five-year loan of $325,000 would carry an interest rate of 1.78 percent with an annual payment of $68,500. A seven-year loan would have an interest rate of 2.11 percent and an annual payment of $50,400. A ten-year loan would have an interest rate of 2.58 percent with an annual payment of $37,300.

The streets budget has $100,000 left over that could be put toward Third Avenue, and the village would receive about $14,000 in state road aid, Niggemann said.

Niggemann said she had also talked to Fleming about village personnel completing some of the tasks that Ayres Associates would normally do to reduce the engineering cost on street projects.

“We have three employees now who could watch them put in pipes,” noted Beverly Schauer, former village board member.

Maintenance

Fourth Avenue, which was reconstructed last year, had a dip in the sewer pipe that meant the sewer line had to be jetted every two weeks, Bates said.

Every dip holds solids, and “it’s a maintenance nightmare for the village because we’re checking it all of the time,” he said.

“But Fourth was not as bad as Third,” Bates said.

Sewer lines are made of plastic now, and state statute requires at least an eight-inch main, Fleming noted.

The concern for Third Avenue is “where is the sand and gravel coming from? It won’t wash out (of the sewer line) and has to be jetted out or it plugs the pipes,” Bates said.

“There’s no question of what street should be done. Do Third and get it over with,” Schauer commented.

If the Colfax Village Board approves the Third Avenue project, bids could be opened the first week in June, and the earliest start date would be July 1 with a completion date of October 1, Fleming said.

“We’re behind the eight ball. We should have bid it much sooner,” Bates noted.

The streets committee unanimously approved a motion to recommend that the village board pursue the Third Avenue street project.

Village Trustee Carey Davis serves as chair of the streets committee.

Village Trustees Annie Schieber and Corey Rihn also serve on the streets committee.