Colby prepares to pave east side streets
By Nathaniel Underwood
The Colby City Council moved forward with plans to pave several gravel streets on the east side of town by agreeing to an engineering contract with MSA Professional Services at its most recent meeting last week.
The project will target East Street, which has the city softball fields, water utilities and residential lots, along with the connecting blocks of Clark, Graves and Broadway streets. In addition to adding an asphalt surface, the city will also turn the current ditches into curb and gutter and adjust the storm and municipal sewer and water systems.
The large ditch to the south of Spence Street would require a fairly large storm sewer system, likely replacing the cross culverts across Spence Street and instead tying it into the new storm sewer system. Water from Highway 13 typically travels down to these culverts and then into the area behind the ballparks.
The council has been considering this project for some time, and in the fall of 2023, an application for Department of Transportation grant assistance was submitted. A grant was then awarded in April of 2024.
These funds would cover 50 percent of the eligible engineering and construction costs for the street, storm sewer and curb and gutter. However, it would not cover any costs for improvements to the municipal sewer and water systems.
The total estimated cost for the project comes to approximately $1.98 million, of which about $1.53 million would be grant eligible costs. The total funds from the grant assistance will come out to about $764,000.
The design and bidding costs that the council agreed to during their meeting last Tuesday will be about $155,000. Surveying will likely begin in January or February, depending on weather. Preliminary plans are likely to be completed by May, and a final design likely be finished by the end of the year.
It was estimated that after the design and bidding phases take their course, actual construction would likely take place in the summer of 2026.
Other business
â– â– The council was informed of a board of appeals decision in December in which Jim Weideman, owner of Boomtown Fireworks, was seeking variances from the city ordinances that disallow the use of storage containers and the sale of fireworks within 500 feet of a gas station.
Weideman was looking to utilize his lot on Elderberry Road between Fourmens and Rodeway Inn to sell fireworks out of storage containers for the time being, until he found another use or was able to build a permanent structure.
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The board noted that, if he would look at building a permanent structure rather than using storage containers, they would be more willing to look at approving a variance for the 500 foot ordinance, but at this time, they voted 3-1 against approval. Dan Hederer, Randy Hesgard and Teri Raatz voting against and Jason Lindeman voting to approve.
â– â– DPW Harland Higley gave an update on a project to get more trees planted in the city.
A $47,000 urban forestry grant was awarded to the city late in 2024 that will help pay for about 200 trees over the next few years. These trees can be planted by the city in public areas like parks or can be given to property owners to put on their own land.
Higley stated that 100 trees of different varieties have been ordered for this coming year and that he would be making up a list of what was available to get to the public.
The trees will be given out on a first come, first serve basis and can be put on residents’ property or in the boulevard if there is room and it is the right type of tree.
While is a three year grant, Higley said he wanted to do the project in two years, noting that he would likely order 100 more trees next year.
