By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
SUAMICO – The village board passed a motion Monday, March 1, to award the Vickery-Docter Park improvement project to McKeefry & Sons of Pulaski for a base bid of $48,426.
Director of Public Works Andy Smits said McKeefry & Sons submitted the low bid from among 10 prime bidders.
“Pretty competitive bidding,” he said. “I mean, when you have 10 bidders on a project that size, it’s pretty good. Contractors are looking for work this year, that’s for sure.”
When including a 10 percent contingency of $4,842 and engineering costs of $9,360, Smits said the total probable costs of the park project come to $62,628.
“We did have $100,000 budgeted for the improvements here in 2021, to be paid for out of TIF (Tax Incremental Financing District) No. 2,” he said.
Construction plans for the park along Velp Avenue include a parking lot, trail, grill pad and erosion control.
Village Administrator Alex Kaker said the Suamico now owns a 1.481-acre parcel donated for the park by the Docter Revocable Living Trust.
Smits said he expects work on the park improvements to begin in early May.
“Our substantial completion, I think, is the middle of June, it’s the same day as Riverside Drive (reconstruction work should be finished),” he said. “Hopefully Riverside Drive and the park should all be done by the middle of June, and it can be open and useful for everybody from that point for the rest of summer.”
Banners, decorations
To go along with the redevelopment of Riverside Drive, the board approved the purchase of Historic Downtown Suamico banners and holiday pole decorations at a cost of $4,090, with funding coming from TIF District No. 2.
“With the construction of Riverside Drive, there’s going to be 10 more light poles added to the Historic Downtown area,” said Recreation Director Leah Hackmaster.
She said the Weatherguard banners have a life expectancy of seven to 10 years, compared to less expensive vinyl banners expected to last three to five years.
“We do have the Weatherguard ones that are on Lineville (Road) right now, and they’re all in pretty good condition,” Hackmaster said. “I don’t think we had to change any out, yet, and that’s been about three years.”
Oak Ridge Lane
The board accepted the terms Brown County Parks Department has agreed to for the transfer to the village of 35 feet of right-of-way along Oak Ridge Lane and completing a quit claim deed.
Smits said the total cost to the village to transfer the property will be around $1,500.
He said the village is planning to reconstruct Oak Ridge Lane this year and wants to straighten out the right-of-way before constructing the road outside the existing right-of-way.
Fire Station No. 1
With construction nearing completion on a new Fire Station No. 1, village officials expect the Suamico Fire Department to be able to move in later this month.
Kaker said a small open house with a ribbon-cutting ceremony is tentatively planned for Sunday, March 28, at 1 p.m. when board members, village staff, contractors and donors will be invited.
He said a larger open house for the general public is being planned for sometime this summer, after landscaping, etc., is completed.
The new Fire Station No. 1 is located at the intersection of West Deerfield Lane and Riverside Drive.
It was designed with more than 20,000 square feet with two stories and six apparatus bays.
Listening session
Board members scheduled a listening session to hear from Suamico business owners at 6 p.m. April 12.
Trustee Michelle Eckert suggested the idea to meet with bar and restaurant owners to discuss issues such as the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses and whether the village should reduce fees for beer and liquor fees in the next licensing period, which begins July 1.