Colfax approves Rescue Squad boiler replacement for $7,139
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — With virtually no discussion, the Colfax Village Board approved paying $7,139 to replace the boiler at the Colfax Rescue Squad during the January 24 meeting.
According to a letter included in the village board packet from Shawn Monson of The Plumber out of Clear Lake, “Today, January 10, 2022, I was at the EMT facility to perform maintenance on the boiler unit. I conducted a carbon monoxide test, and it indicated that the unit is leaking in the mechanical room at the rate of 49 ppm, which is an unsafe limit. I recommend replacement of this unit and enclosed is an estimate to do so.”
The $7,139 includes removing and disposing of the existing boiler and installing a Weil McLain EcoTec boiler.
According to various sources online, the personal exposure limit set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is 50 parts of carbon monoxide per million.
When carbon monoxide remains above 70 parts per million, symptoms tend to become more noticeable and can include headache, fatigue and nausea.
When carbon monoxide levels are above 150 to 200 ppm, people can become disoriented and become unconscious and die from the exposure.
The Colfax Village Board voted unanimously to replace the boiler.
According to the administrator-clerk-treasurer’s report included in the village board packet, the new boiler was installed on January 20.
Don Knutson, director of the Colfax Rescue Squad, obtained an estimate from another vendor to verify that the estimate received from The Plumber was reasonable, “and the findings indicated that the price was very fair,” the report states.
Landfill monitoring
In other business at the January 24 meeting, the Colfax Village Board approved a contract with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. for monitoring of the old landfill for one year in the amount of $3,600.
At the January 10 meeting, the village board delayed taking action on a proposal from CBS Squared in the amount of $8,500 for two years of monitoring the landfill.
Travel, testing fees and other expenses are added onto the CBS Squared contract price, said Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer.
SEH includes travel expenses, testing fees, postage and other expenses in the base price, she said.
Colfax also received a proposal from Ayres Associates for $4,800.
The Ayres proposal is a “not to exceed” and also includes expenses for travel, testing and postage, Niggemann said.
CBS Squared has been monitoring the old landfill for four years, and prior to that, SEH did the work for many years, she said.
On the last contract with CBS Squared, there was $1,600 in additional expenses, Niggemann noted.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved a one-year contract with SEH in the amount of $3,600 to monitor the landfill site.
