Colfax Village Board reviews list of public property repairs, approves concrete for fairgrounds stage
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Some are larger projects and some are smaller — but they all must be addressed one way or another.
The Colfax Village Board reviewed a list of needed repairs to village-owned properties at the June 27 meeting and accepted a bid of $3,200 for repairing the concrete stage at the fairgrounds and also gave approval for painting the cemetery workshop.
The concrete on the band shell stage needs repair on the front and a set of wooden steps would be replaced with concrete, said Rand Bates, director of public works.
The original estimate last year for the concrete work on the stage was $8,000, said Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer.
The bid from Andy’s Custom Concrete is $3,232, she said.
Is there money budgeted for the repair of the band shell? asked Jody Albricht, village president.
The money could come from the public property and parks funds and could include the $2,500 that would have been used for the spreading garden at Colfax Evergreen Cemetery, Niggemann said.
Earlier in the meeting, the village board approved putting the money set aside for the spreading garden back into the parks fund for general parks use.
Members of the fair board also have asked if the back wall of the band shell could be painted, Albricht said.
The back wall of the fairgrounds stage is unpainted chipboard, and at a discussion of the parks committee in the summer of 2021, committee members suggested painting the back wall to help reflect light on the stage so it is not so dark under the roof.
The fair board could certainly paint the back wall of the stage if they want to, Albricht said.
Village board members agreed that if the back wall of the stage is painted, the color should match the other buildings at the fairgrounds.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously accepted the bid from Andy’s Custom Concrete for $3,232 for the work on the stage at the fairgrounds.
The Colfax Village Board also unanimously approved painting the workshop building at the cemetery.
Spreading garden
The spreading garden at Colfax Evergreen Cemetery has been a topic of discussion for a number of years.
Several years ago, a Colfax High School student designed a spreading garden for a class project.
The village has set aside money for the spreading garden in the parks fund, Niggemann said.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved transferring the money for the spreading garden to the parks fund for general parks use and not moving forward with the project.
If someone brings up the subject again, the village board and the parks committee can take another look at developing a spreading garden, said Jeff Prince, village trustee.
Rescue Squad
The Colfax Rescue Squad building has sleeping areas upstairs but not actual separate bedrooms, Niggemann said.
The rescue squad ambulance bay also has space occupied by exercise equipment that is not used, so the village board may want to consider selling the exercise equipment, she said.
As far as anyone at the meeting could recall, the exercise equipment had been donated to the Colfax Rescue Squad, so Niggemann and several village board members thought it would be best to contact the person who had donated the equipment to find out if that person wanted it back before moving forward with selling it.
Perhaps the biggest problem with the Colfax Rescue Squad building is that there is no catch basin in the ambulance bay.
When the building was remodeled for the ambulance service, a catch basin was not included in the design, Niggemann said.
Because there was no catch basin, when the snow melts off the ambulances in the winter, then there is water all over the floor, so low rails were installed around the bay floor to keep the water from seeping into other parts of the building, Bates said.
When the representative for the village’s insurance company walked through the ambulance bay, the first thing she said is that the rails had to be removed because they are a tripping hazard, he said.
The floor of the ambulance bay has in-floor heat, Bates noted.
Installing a catch basin in the floor of the ambulance bay will be a major project, he said.
Several village board members wondered how it was possible that a remodel of the building to house the Colfax Rescue Squad could have failed to include a catch basin in the ambulance bay, but no one had an answer to the question.
Estimates will have to be obtained for the work at the rescue squad building, Niggemann said.
There are “dips” in the asphalt where the ambulances back into the bay. The asphalt should be saw-cut and concrete should be poured in the area to help maintain the integrity of the concrete in the ambulance bay floor, Bates said.
Beer garden
The village has received a request to to install audio sound panels in the beer garden at the fairgrounds to deflect loud music when there are bands playing on the stage, Niggemann said.
Sound experts have said that sound panels in the ceiling of the beer garden would not be effective, but sound panels on the wall might be helpful, she said.
More information is needed about where and how sound panels should be installed in the beer garden, Niggemann said.
Another question is whether the lighting should be improved in the beer garden, she said.
Cemetery garage
The shingles on the garage at the cemetery will need to be replaced in the next few years, Niggemann said.
The list from the public property committee suggested reviewing the shingles in 2024 for possible replacement in 2025.
Well House No. 1
Well House No. 1, located in Tower Park next to the Colfax Municipal Building, has settled, resulting in a gap in the concrete that should be filled and repaired, according to the list from the public property committee.
Bates is working on obtaining an estimate for the repair.
Well House No. 3
Well House No. 3, located near Kyle’s Market, is in need of shingle replacement.
The size of the Well House No. 3 roof is about the same as Well House No. 1, so the estimated cost of a steel roof is $8,500, Niggemann said.
Well House No. 3 also needs cement block repair.
Ball park
The bleachers at Tom Prince Memorial Park are in need of painting.
Village board members said they were under the impression that the Colfax Softball Association would arrange to have the bleachers painted.
Village hall
The southwest corner of the building is in need of repair.
Bates is working on obtaining estimates for the village hall repair.
The soffit and fascia in the front of the Colfax Municipal Building also should be painted, and the handicapped entrance door must be replaced.
The breakers in Niggemann’s office and the library storage room must be assessed as well..
When the microwave is powered on and Niggemann is printing, the breaker kicks out, according to the information from the property committee.
Gazebo
The roof of the gazebo in Tower Park is in the process of being replaced with a steel roof.
The steps going up into the gazebo should be assessed and a hand rail should be installed.
The floor of the gazebo should be cleaned and stained rather than painted, according to the information from the property committee.
J.D. Simons Park
Village resident Troy Knutson has inquired about the possibility of running power from the flag pole in J.D. Simons Memorial Park to the evergreen tree so that it could be decorated with Christmas lights.
Water tower
Although the water tower was not on the list from the property committee, Albricht said he had been contacted by a village resident who said the water tower is very dirty and should be washed.
According to regulations, the water tower must be painted every 10 years and was last painted in 2014, Bates said.
The Colfax Village Board accepted a bid of $93,000 in July of 2012 from Lane Tank in Menomonie for repairing and painting the water tower.
The bid approved by the village board specified that the work would be completed in the spring of 2013.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Village Board:
• Approved a long list of bartender operator’s licenses that will be in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023.
• Approved liquor licenses in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023 for the Outhouse Bar, Mark Nelson and Lisa Johnson, agents; Class “B” beer and “Class B” liquor; 413 Main Street.
• Approved liquor licenses in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023 for Young Active Adventures LLC/Viking Bowl and Lounge, Alicia Young, agent; Class “B” beer and “Class B” liquor; 108 Main Street.
• Approved a liquor license in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023, for J&S Sales of Chippewa Falls, LLC/Express Mart, Rondi De Moe, agent; Class “A” beer; 616 Main Street.
• Approved liquor licenses in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023, Kyle’s Market Inc., Kyle Kressin, agent; Class “A” beer and Class “A” liquor; 115 Main Street.
• Approved a liquor license in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023, Synergy Community Cooperative, Charles Brown, agent; Class “A” beer; 401 East Railroad Avenue.
• Approved liquor licenses in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023, Mom’s Restaurant and Pub LLC, Mark Barstad, agent; Class “B” beer and “Class B” liquor; 512 Main Street.
• Approved liquor licenses in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023, The Blind Tiger LLC/ Nicholas Anderson, agent; Class “B” beer and “Class B” liquor; 512 Main Street.
• Approved liquor licenses in effect from July 1 to June 30, 2023, A Little Slice of Italy, Anne Jenson, agent; Class “B” beer and “Class C” wine; 501 Main Street.
• Approved tobacco licenses for The Blind Tiger, 512 Main Street; Dolgencorp LLC/Dollar General, 402 Fifth Avenue; J&S Sales of Chippewa Falls, LLC/Express Mart, 616 Main Street; Outhouse Bar, 413 Main Street; Kyle’s Market Inc., 115 Main Street; Synergy Community Cooperative, 401 E. Railroad Avenue.
• Approved a chicken license for Pamela Moen, 705 University.
• Discussed public works staffing with Bates to make sure the department is adequately staffed. Village board members said they were concerned about not over-working the director of publics work and the other employees. Bates said the lack of rain has cut down on the amount of mowing that must be completed, which has helped alleviate some of the work load.
