Colfax approves $6,000 for library carpeting and $9,300 for metal well house and gazebo roofs
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Maybe you have noticed the large wrinkles in the carpet at the Colfax Public Library.
The wrinkles are large enough to pose a tripping hazard for patrons of the library, said Lisa Bragg-Hurlburt, library director, at the Colfax Village Board’s May 9 meeting.
Hurlburt attended the meeting to discuss bids she had received for replacing the carpet.
The library carpet’s wrinkles were caused by heavy courier carts being hauled around the library, she said.
The carpeting is about 15 years old, and while Hurlburt looked into having the carpeting stretched, she discovered that stretching the carpet to fix the wrinkles should have been done when the wrinkles first appeared.
“We are years past that,” she said.
Hurlburt received three bids for replacing the carpeting, and the lowest was $5,906.56.
Andy Ferry submitted an installation bid of $1,741. Ferry works with Midwest Flooring company, which gave a bid of $4,165.45 for Mohawk Design carpet squares, she said.
The two other bids were $6,866.34 from Nevins Flooring and $7,163.40 from Menomonie Flooring, according to information included in the village board packet.
The carpet squares, which are similar to the carpet squares installed in the administrator-clerk-treasurer’s office, will be beneficial because if certain areas become damaged, the squares can be removed and replaced instead of the entire carpet, Hurlburt said.
Could money be used that has been designated for village hall repair to pay for the carpeting? she asked.
The balance in the designated fund for village hall maintenance is $81,876, and after the amount for the carpeting is deducted, the balance would be $75,970, said Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer.
The library will not have to be closed because Ferry would plan to install the library carpeting one half at a time, Hurlburt said.
The other good news is that by using the carpet squares, the large bookshelves in the library would have to be moved, she said.
Rand Bates, director of public works, expressed relief that the library bookshelves would not have to be moved.
Ferry plans to cut out the old carpet around the bookshelves and then install the carpet squares, Hurlburt said.
Some of the furniture, such as the computer table, will have to be moved, but not the heavy bookshelves, she said.
Margaret Burcham, village trustee, asked if there would be enough money left in the village hall maintenance fund after replacing the library carpet to fix the rain gutter on the building.
The village board will be considering the rain gutter and wall repair at the second meeting in May, and there will be enough money left for the repair, Niggemann said.
An estimate has been obtained for fixing the wall but an estimate has not yet been obtained for the rain gutter, she said.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved replacing the library carpeting at a cost of $5,906.56 with Mohawk Design carpet squares from Midwest Flooring and with installation by Andy Ferry.
The Colfax Village Board also unanimously approved a motion to use money from the designated fund for village hall maintenance to pay for the new carpet in the library.
Well house and gazebo
Apparently, the roof for the well house in Tower Park and the roof for the gazebo in Tower Park are jobs that many contractors believe are too small.
Bates told the village board he had called six contractors and had received an estimate from one contractor.
Only a few contractors do stainless steel roofs, he noted.
The bid from Bjorkstrand Metal Roofing to do the two roofs is $6,200 for the pump house and $3,100 for the gazebo.
The cost of steel has increased over the last several years, and the cost for replacing the two roofs is not likely to decrease if the village continues to put off doing the work, Bates said.
“This has been going on for three years,” he said, adding that he was recommending moving forward with the bid from Bjorkstrand.
The Colfax Village Board approved accepting the bid from Bjorkstrand to put a metal roof on the Tower Park well house and gazebo on a vote of six “yes” to one “no.”
Village Trustee Carey Davis voted against the motion.
Village President Jody Albricht and Village Trustees Margaret Burcham, Anne Jenson, Jeff Prince, Jen Rud and Gary Stene voted in favor of the motion.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Village Board:
• Approved bartender operator’s licenses for Kayla Jenson (Viking Bowl), Jasmine Best (Synergy Cooperative) and Elizabeth Affolter (The Blind Tiger).
• Approved writing off uncashed checks in the amount of $263.91. According to information Niggemann provided to the village board, follow-up for each of the checks that have not been cashed resulted in no return of the document the Village of Colfax requires to be signed to reissue the check, except for checks issued to the health insurance company and the DNR, both of which indicated the check is no longer due.
