Water tower project delayed
The Abbotsford City Council was informed that the water tower rehabilitation project would need to be delayed until spring of 2023. Clark County has communications equipment mounted at the top of the tower. In order for the rehabilitation project to go forward, that equipment needed to be raised six feet above the tower. That process will cost the county roughly $30,000 - $40,000 according to City Administrator Josh Soyk.
Viking Industrial Painting LLC will be carrying out the project and told Soyk that if the temperature dips below 50 degrees, they will have issues completing the project. Therefore, they proposed the project be pushed back to spring 2023. Soyk said the county had placed a May 13 deadline on getting the antennas moved so work could begin in the spring.
Because of the delay, the council voted to approve a change order which will give the county ample time to move its antennas allowing contractors the ability to work without disruption. No price increase will be levied towards the city for the change order.
Red Arrow Park building fundraiser
Area businesses will have their chance at becoming a part of Red Arrow Park as the Abbotsford City Council decided it would open up options for fund raising opportunities at its meeting on Tuesday.
The proposal came after the council voted to approve a plan to build a new concession stand and press box behind the home plate fencing at Red Arrow Park. Donations will be used to help replenish funds taken from other accounts to help front the cost of the project.
The council decided there would be multiple monetary values that will be available to prospective donors. A company or individual donor would be able to acquire the naming rights to the concession stand and press box building for a price that has yet to be agreed upon.
Businesses can also donate either $3,000, $1,000, $500 or $100 to appear on various areas throughout the ball park. The $3,000 or platinum level donor will be featured on a banner which is to be displayed on the fence for the life of the banner. The gold donor gives $1,000 for a banner to be placed on the fence but will be required to re-up for $500 each ensuing year. The silver, or $500 donors as well as the gold and platinum donors will receive their names on a brick that will be built into the building. Bronze donors will give $100 to be featured on a donor plaque along with the rest of the donors.
N. Fifth Street project
The council was given multiple options for a reconstruction project that will span Fifth St. from Oak St. to Maple St.
The project could be a simple resurfacing of the road but Dan Borchardt of MSA laid out an option that would also replace the water main which dates back to the 1960s. The plan would ideally be covered up to $1 million by a Community Development Block Grant but that funding would depend on the results of an income survey.
The council voted to do both the reconstruction as well as the water main projects on Fifth St. Two additional stretches of road were added as alternates to the plan which included an addition portion of Fifth St. from Birch St. to Spruce St. and a portion of Birch St. from Fifth to Sixth Streets.
The main portion of the project will cost an estimated $1,650,500 with that total jumping up to $2,754,100 if the alternate routes are reconstructed as well. Applications for both the CDBG and Safe Water Drinking Loans are scheduled to be placed in summer of 2023. If funding is approved, the project would move forward in Oct. 2024.
n The council voted to approve an increase of $4,766.72 for the Central Fire and EMS budget in 2023. The increase is a 5.57 percent hike which is lower than the Town of Colby’s 15.04 percent increase and the City of Colby’s increase which came in at 9.44 percent. Overall, the Central Fire and EMS budget was increased by 7.03 percent from $621,950.00 in 2022 to $665,650.00 in 2023.
According to Abbotsford Mayor Jim Weix, the increase in the budget was due to an increase in wages that was approved in April of 2022 and the increased price of fuel during 2022. Abbotsford decided they would take money out of their savings account to pay for the increase.
n MSA has met with city officials to discuss the Cedar St. reconstruction project (from Second Ave. to Third Ave.) that will be sent out to bid in Dec. 2022. The project is scheduled to take place next summer.
n The council will be inviting residents of Oak St. from Hwy. 13 to Fifth St. to come to a future meeting as they discuss whether to make the road narrower and put sidewalks in. The project was originally planned to be a part of the safe walk to school program but after the Cedar St. sidewalk proposal was shot down a few months ago, Borchardt was curious if the council would want to go ahead with sidewalks on any streets within the city.
