Rib Lake gets grant boost for downtown roads

After just missing out receiving grant funding for the project last year, the village of Rib Lake has been awarded $760,444 in Community Development Block Grant-Public Facilities (CDBG-PF) funding for the Mc-Comb and Landall avenues street project.

“It’s always good to sit and tell someone that you got the grant this time,” Pat Morrow of MSA Professional Services told the board. “Because if you will remember, there were two other grants that we didn’t get.”

The project involves the complete storefront to storefront reconstruction of McComb Avenue from Hwy 102 to Fayette Avenue and the replacement of the storm sewer on Lindall Avenue east of McComb. There is no storm sewer on McComb. Currently, water runs down the gutters and into the storm sewer along Hwy 102. As part of the project, drains and a storm sewer will be installed on McComb. The storm sewer north of Landall Avenue will connect to the Landall storm sewer and flow to the east down the hill, around the playground and into Tannery Creek. The storm sewer south of Landall will connect to the storm sewer along Hwy 102. Estimated cost of the project is $1.1 million.

Village president Bill Schreiner asked if some sort of decorative lighting would be involved in the project. Phil Kriesel, also from MSA, said it wasn’t included in the grant request and asked if there was lighting on the street now. Schreiner said there was, but it was owned by the electric utility company. Kriesel asked if decorative lighting was something the village was interested in doing. Schreiner said some other municipalities have decorative lighting along their Main Streets and it really enhances the community.

Kriesel agreed, but cautioned it can be very expensive. He asked if that was something the village wanted MSA to look into. Schreiner said he had discussed the idea with several board members and thought it would enhance McComb Avenue. He said the decorative lights along the Hwy 102 pathway cost around $5,000, but didn’t think the village needed something that elaborate along McComb.

Trustee Vernell Van Hecker said the village should look into decorative lighting. He said the wiring and support for the poles will all have to be included in the engineering for the project.

Trustee Russ Bullis said he agreed with Van Hecker and Schreiner that the village should look into it. He said other communities have done that and that “it looks good and really enhances the downtown.”

Van Hecker said there needs to be outlets on the poles for Christmas lights and hangers for putting plants or flags on them.

Kriesel said that was where lighting starts to get expensive. He said MSA has just gone through that with a project in Antigo where the city started adding a public address system and cameras to the poles. He said MSA will get the village what it wants, but the board has to know what it wants first.

Kriesel said MSA will prepare a contract for the grant as it is written and thought a change order for the lighting could be added later since lighting was not part of the grant request.

Morrow said MSA will complete the topographic survey (field work) for the project this fall. He said the design work for the project will be completed over the upcoming winter. The project will be bid out to contractors in February, 2022. Construction will begin in the spring of that year and be completed by the fall.

After the update by Kriesel and Morrow, the board approved a grant administration agreement with MSA at a cost of $27,500 plus an estimated $3,500 for the environmental review. Morrow said the review process could be completed quickly, in which case the village would not have to spend the entire $3,500. He said the $3,500 should be adequate, but if unexpected problems were encountered with the review, the cost could be more than that.

The board voted to discontinue the annual fall and spring clean ups.

“The stuff can go on the curb and all they have to do is call our garbage men and they come and pick it up,” Van Hecker said. “Why are we picking it up and paying for dumpsters and stuff? Not only that, we’re picking up mattresses and stuff from communities all around. There ain’t that much stuff coming out of houses around town.”

Both Schreiner and Bullis agreed that a large percent of the items being picked up were not coming from residents of the village. “I think it’s something we need to let everyone know that they can just set it out there and call in and they [garbage man] will take it free of charge,” Bullis said.

“And they may tell you it’s not going to be this Monday because they have so many large items or whatever. They’ll tell when,” added trustee Jack Buksa.

Clerk Kristin Lueck asked if this was something the board wanted her to include with the next water bill to let residents know if they have items to dispose of they should call the garbage man. The board agreed that was a good idea.

During the trustee’s report, Cliff Mann said there was $2,500 left over from the shelter project by the library. He said the library’s next goal is to put in sidewalks and landscaping around the shelter and wiring the shelter for electric power.

“We’re getting some pretty decent donations,” Mann said. “We’ve gotten some nice donations for it already.