Colfax receives $165,150 MSIS grant from WisDOT for Balsam and Oak Street projects
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — It is the largest grant Colfax has ever received for street projects.
Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, received a letter from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation dated April 4 informing her that Colfax had been awarded a Municipal Street Improvement Supplemental Program (MSIS) grant, which is a component of the Local Road Improvements Program (LRIP), the Colfax Village Board learned at the April 22 meeting.
The Colfax Village Board accepted the low bid of $709,592 from Skid Steer Guy LLC for the Balsam Street and Oak Street projects at the April 8 meeting.
The total eligible cost for the street projects is estimated at $330,300, and WisDOT will reimburse the Village of Colfax for up to a limit of $165,150, according to the letter from WisDOT.
When Colfax receives LRIP money, it is usually $10,000 or $11,000, said Gary Stene, village trustee.
This is the MSIS program. Under LRIP, the most Colfax has received is a little less than $16,000, Niggemann said.
“Lynn typed up a good sob story, and it worked,” commented Rand Bates, director of public works.
The Balsam Street and Oak Street projects were expected to start on May 1, but the work will not start until the manholes have been built and shipped, he said.
Once the project is started, the contractor has 60 days to finish it, Bates said.
Mid-June for finishing was the original goal, but that is not likely to occur since the manholes are not built yet, he said.
The construction will start on Balsam Street first, and then Oak Street will be completed after that, Bates said.
When construction updates are available, information will be put into the packets for the village board members, Niggemann said.
The engineer’s estimate for the Balsam Street and Oak Street projects was $666,300 plus a contingency of $66,500 for a total of $732,800.
Colfax Youth Sports
In other business at the April 22 meeting, the Colfax Village Board approved donating $1,500 to the Colfax Youth Sports Corporation for the Colfax Youth Summer Recreation program.
Equipment for the youth players, such as helmets and other safety item considerations, must be replaced, said Tiffany Prince, president of Colfax Youth Sports.
Niggemann said she did not know how or when the village had started donating $1,500 to Colfax Youth Sports but that she considered it a “worthy” donation.
CYS is making improvements to village property, which is Tom Prince Memorial Park, and the group is contributing to what the village owns and have been doing fund raising to make those improvements, she said.
Tiffany Prince noted that a batting cage had recently been installed at Tom Prince Memorial Park.
CYS promotes activity in the village, and it promotes youth in the village, said Jeff Prince, village president.
The baseball and T-ball programs are for grades kindergarten through eighth grade, and high school students are encouraged to umpire and to be more involved, Tiffany Prince said.
CYS helps to build the Colfax High School sports program, she said.
Gary Stene, village trustee, said that in talking to people whose children are involved in the youth program, he realized not all of them are from the village.
Stene said the parents should be encouraged to ask the town boards in surrounding townships for a contribution to Colfax Youth Sports.
As is true of the village board, town boards set their budgets in the fall for the following year and would have to be aware of the request prior to setting their next budgets.
Shin guards for the younger children are $75 to $100 per pair, Burcham noted.
Helmets and catcher’s equipment must be updated on a certain rotation of every four or five years, Tiffany Prince said.
“I thought you were going to ask about an old-timers’ league,” Davis quipped in reference to Stene’s comments.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved the contribution of $1,500 to Colfax Youth Sports.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Village Board:
• Approved a transient merchant license for. Alvin Lu, Panda Food Truck, from April to October 2024.
• Approved a bartender operator’s license for Amanda Kikilas from April 22 to June 30, 2024. Niggemann explained that Kikilas had held a wine-tasting event at The Concierge Home Decor & More earlier in April, which had been sponsored by the Colfax Sno-Drifters and for which the village board had approved a picnic license. Kikilas had also received a provisional bartender operator’s license for the event, because a licensed bartender is required to be on site when there is a temporary picnic license. The Concierge is not going to be selling or serving alcoholic beverages, and approving the bartender operator’s license completes the process started with the provisional bartender operator’s license, Niggemann said, noting that Kikilas could bartend at any establishment that serves liquor with the bartender operator’s license approved by the village board.
• Approved the purchase of a 2023 John Deer Z530M ZTak zero turn parks mower from Tractor Central in the amount of $4,903.29.
• Approved the purchase of a John Deere 1570 terrain cut commercial front mower, including a trade-in for the 2021 John Deer 1570, in the amount of $14,359.16. The quoted price was $32,859.16, but the village will receive $18,500 for the 2021 John Deere 1570.
• Approved a quote from Water Tower Clean & Coat Inc. in the amount of $6,000 for cleaning the exterior of the Colfax water tower. The same company inspected the interior of the water tower a month ago, Bates noted. Other quotes included $9,000 to clean the exterior of the water tower from Central Tank Coatings, Inc., and a quote from Lane Tank Company Inc. for $8,000.
• Confirmed the following terms for Colfax Village Board members: from April 16, 2024, to April 21, 2026, for village trustees Annie Jenson, Gary Stene and Carey Davis; and from April 18, 2023, to April 15, 2025, for village president Jeff Prince and village trustees Margaret Burcham, Jen Rud and Clint Best.
• Reviewed the list of committee assignments, which are available on the village’s website at www.villageofcolfax.org under the April 22, 2024, meeting packet.
