Edgar OKs sewer plant redesign
The Edgar Village Board on Monday voted to move forward with a $4 million wastewater treatment plant project by signing contracts with Cooper Engineering, Rice Lake, to design the facility and seek financing through USDA Rural Development.
The design work will be billed out at a not to exceed sum of $660,000. The financing application will cost the village approximately $35,000. Administrator Jennifer Lopez recommended the village board ink both contracts, acknowledging that the design cost, which figures to 16.5 percent of the project, is on the high side. She told board members that the actual cost of design will be based on how much engineer Gary Strand works. “It’s a time and materials contract,” she said. “It won’t be a $660,000 lump sum. It can be lower based on actual hours worked.”
Lopez said she and Strand agreed to apply only for Rural Development financing after learning that the village would have to wait for September to get details on Clean Water Fund financing through DNR.
“We were pretty sure just to proceed with Rural Development,” she said. Lopez said an advantage to Rural Development financing is that all plans must pass a review by a USDA engineer and that the agency will send an employee to every village board meeting to insure that its funds are spent correctly.
“Everything is double checked,” she said.
In other village board business:
_ Greg Heiden told board members he plans to convert the old Hardware Hank building on Third Ave. to apartments after he receives stateapproved plans in late May. He requested installation of a four-foot sidewalk on village property that would butt up against the southern wall of the metal building. A row of bushes will be removed, he said.
Heiden said he tried for years to attract a commercial tenant to the building but has been unsuccessful.
Board members agreed to table action on the sidewalk until Heiden shows the village state approved plans for the project.
_ Board members awarded a Royal Ave. and Gumaer Street project to Francis Melvin, Inc., Abbotsford, for a low bid of $222,662. The board also agreed to levy approximately $42,000 in special assessments for curb and gutter. Board member Jon Streit abstained from voting on both items.
_ Board members voted not to purchase a new board room conference table and chairs from Eau Claire Business Interiors for $3,570. Administrator Lopez said she got the quote after hearing from board members that they desired new board furniture and believing meetings would run better if board members all faced the public and they could view a screen. Currently, the board members are clustered around the four sides of the board table.
Trustee Jon Streit said he was against the purchase.
“I don’t see why we need new furniture,” he said. “It isn’t like the tables and chairs are broken.”
_ Board members agreed to hire Jere Bohn and two additional part-time summer village workers.
_ Board members voted to purchase a used van in an amount up to $11,000 plus title and license fees.
_ Board members scheduled interviews for a new police chief on Wednesday of this week and next Monday, March 16.
