Colfax formally accepts $592,000 CDBG grant for lagoon bank project
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Village Board has formally accepted $592,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for the project to stabilize the Red Cedar River bank to keep the river from washing out the wastewater treatment lagoons.
Formally accepting the CDBG funds is one of the steps required in the 45-day window to finalize the grant, said Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, at the Colfax Village Board’s August 12 meeting.
The village board learned at the July 22 meeting that the grant application for Colfax had been approved.
The entire cost of stabilizing the river bank, according to information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, would be about $1.6 million, and while federal funds available through the Army Corps would cover 65 percent of the cost, the village of Colfax would have to pay 35 percent, or about $600,000.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently recalculated the income eligibility of Colfax residents. People in the village are now considered to be low to moderate income, which qualified the village to apply for CDBG funds.
Colfax could have applied for up to $1 million but then must provide $500,000 in matching funds.
The money from the Army Corps of Engineers is considered to be matching funds, so with the award of the $592,000 as CDBG funds, the only cost to the village will be to CBS Squared for the grant application, grant administration and project oversight.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved accepting the CDBG funds of $592,000.
Professional services
In a related matter at the August 12 meeting, the Colfax Village Board also approved an agreement for professional services with CBS Squared Inc. in the amount of $38,000.
The agreement includes $8,725 for CDBG grant administration services and $29,275 for CDBG engineering coordination services for a total of $38,000.
The Village of Colfax previously approved paying CBS Squared $5,000 to write the grant application.
The $38,000 will be paid out of the sewer utility fund balance, Niggemann said.
“Is this the only amount the village will pay (for the lagoon bank project)?” asked Chad Berge, village trustee.
“Yes,” Niggemann replied.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved the agreement for services with CBS Squared.
Timeline
Niggemann discussed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ timeline for the project as well.
The Army Corps of Engineers will be designing the project and advertising for bids.
The design phase is expected to be completed by next year, and the environmental studies will be completed next spring, Niggemann said.
The project will most likely be completed by the spring of 2021 with construction beginning July 1 of next year, she said.
“What if the lagoons blow out before that?” asked Carey Davis, village trustee.
“FEMA,” Niggemann replied, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Over the last 20 years, the Red Cedar River has steadily eroded the river bank and has come much closer to the lagoons. Estimates are that perhaps one hundred to two hundred feet of river bank have disappeared.
Although the Army Corp of Engineers came to Colfax to view the erosion problem in December of 2014 and wrote their 500-page report in 2016, the village noticed a problem with the river bank eroding away by the lagoons long before that.
In August of 2010, a thunderstorm that dumped up to eight inches of rain around the area in a couple of hours caused the bank to erode even more from stormwater run-off.
The 500-page report represents everything the Army Corps needed to get started with the design, Niggemann said.
For nearly 10 years, the Colfax Village Board has struggled to find ways to pay for a project to stabilize the river bank by the wastewater treatment lagoons.
Procurement
In yet another piece of business related to the CDBG funds, the Colfax Village Board approved a procurement policy.
“We have never had a formal policy,” Niggemann said.
The policy establishes that the village board must approve all purchases of $1,000 or more, that the village administrator-clerk-treasurer must approve all purchases between $500.01 and $999.99, and that the department head or his or her appointee must approve all purchases of up to $500.
The policy establishes that public works purchases exceeding the Wisconsin statutory amount of $25,000 will be bid in accordance with Wisconsin state statutes.
The village board amended the policy so that projects less than $25,000 shall have three bids brought to the village board for consideration.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved the procurement policy.
Training
One final piece of business related to the CDBG funding involved approving CDBG grant training for Niggemann.
The training is specific to the grant, and it is required, Niggemann said.
“If we are going to continue the process, I must attend,” she said.
The Community Development Block Grant training will be held in Rothschild September 19.
Registration is $50, and travel expenses are expected to be $35.
Niggemann said she will drive the village’s former squad car, and she will go and return in the same day.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved the CDBG training for Niggemann.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Village Board:
• Approved water and wastewater training for Mitchell Kreutzer at an estimated cost of $1,279. The training is required for Kreutzer for certification in groundwater supply and distribution and basic general wastewater. The training is scheduled September 23-37; October 1-3; October 8-10; October 29; and with state Department of Natural Resources testing on November 6. The village’s policy is if Kreutzer should happen to fail a test, he will be responsible for the cost to test again, said Rand Bates, director of public works.
• Approved bartender operator’s licenses from August 12 to June 30, 2020, for Kelly Roe (Express Mart); Luke Heidorn (Synergy Cooperative); Koby Flodquist (Express Mart); Bridgette Lenz (A Little Slice of Italy). Anne Jenson abstained from voting on the motion.
• Approved a chicken license for JoAnn Mayfield from August 12 through June 30, 2020.
• Approved a pay request in the amount of $66,904.34 from Ayres Associates for Haas Sons Inc. for the Roosevelt Street project. The total project price was $252,835.57 and included a change order for $54.50. A total of 5 percent retainage of $6,320.89 will be paid next year. The village board previously approved paying $182,117.61.