Mayor’s Corner
November 2023
Here we are at the beginning of November. Where has 2023 gone? So far, we have had fairly mild, decent weather to allow our farmers to harvest a much more plentiful crop than expected. However, according to the meteorologists, the downturn is scheduled to begin on Sunday, October 29 and with the first freeze scheduled for October and a low of 22 on Halloween night. Oh well, we all knew our days were numbered.
With the Fall season, comes leaves dropping and accumulating everywhere. Once again, the Village of Colfax will be vacuuming up leaves in order to reduce the need for people to burn them. There are numerous people in our community who have severe breathing problems and smoke in the air can cause numerous complications. The ordinance pertaining to burning only permits burning on Saturdays between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. There is no burning allowed when a Saturday falls on a holiday weekend. Please observe this ordinance to avoid receiving a citation. Fire pits are permitted on any day. However, burning leaves in your fire pit is prohibited. Be considerate of your neighbors and just put the leaves on the curb for pickup by village personnel.
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Colfax had Farnsworth Group engineers conduct a Limited Wastewater Infrastructure Assessment in April. The assessment looked at the treatment facility off 1900N, the lift station on Shadeland and the collection system. The decision was made to conduct a cleaning and televising of the entire sanitary sewer system for the Village of Colfax as the initial part of beginning the process to address some issues.
The project will look at 40,000 lineal feet of sewer system and conduct manhole inspections; believe it or not, there are approximately 166 manholes throughout the village. The project will begin in the next couple of weeks. A notice of work in your area will be hung on your door. Please read it and follow the instructions to reduce any problems within your house. One thing it will point out is to close the lid on all your stools while they are working in the vicinity of your home.
The result of this total review of the entire sewer system is designed to let us know where we need to concentrate our efforts in making infrastructure improvements in the collection system. Future projects will be focusing on the wastewater treatment plant including removal of the sludge, replacing the sand filter media in both filter beds and other improvements.
Work is finally proceeding on being able to bid and complete the $243,421.42 Safe Routes to School Grant we were awarded in 2021. Plans call for the work to be completed during the Summer of 2024, if everything goes according to schedule. There will be sidewalk improvements from Main Street to Wood Street, along a portion of Harrison and three blocks of East Wood Street. In addition, there will be a button activated crosswalk to the Ridgeview property from Brook to Wood, providing safer crossing conditions for students and staff. We are excited to try to make the way to school safer for our children.
The Village of Colfax has a dumpster just north of the Village Office that is for the use of the village residents only. It is not to be a dumping site for people from the surrounding areas and towns. It is unbelievable how many of the large dumpsters we have filled over the course of a year. Please be advised there are cameras monitoring the dumpster area.
The pick-up of large items by the Village of Colfax personnel is designed to be items that will not fit in your weekly garbage can. If it is small enough to go in your large blue can, please put it in there and not on the street. Thank you for your cooperation.
Here are some points you should observe to ensure garbage and recycle pick-up.
• Garbage is picked up every Monday morning, beginning at a very early hour; mine is picked up at 4:30 a.m. YOU NEED TO PUT YOUR CAN OUT ON SUNDAY EVENING.
• Recycle pick-up is every other week on Wednesday; again, beginning at a very early hour. The next recycling date is November 1, followed by Wednesday, November 15 and so on. MAKE SURE TO PUT YOUR RECYCLE CONTAINER OUT ON TUESDAY NIGHT.
• There is a posting on the Village of Colfax website on the Community Calendar and on Facebook that shows the entire schedule for garbage and recycle pick-up for 2023.
• Please put all items that need to be discarded that will fit into your garbage can; put them there and not on the curb. Village personnel have plenty to pick up with the big items.
• Please take your garbage can and recycle can off the curb and back to your house by the end of the pick-up day. If you receive a green tag on your can, you have been notified.
• If your garbage can or recycle can is damaged, you may request a new one by calling the Village Office at (309) 723-3261.
• Large dumpsters for residents are available at a discount through Republic Services at a cost of $481.50. Please call Portia at (309) 723-3261 to obtain information to schedule one.
• Landlords or people flipping or emptying houses need to obtain a dumpster from Republic Services. Please do not unload it on the curb nor bring it to the dumpster at the Village Office.
• Tires cannot be put in the dumpster by the Village Office. You need to pay to have them disposed. Spencer’s Oil in Cooksville will dispose of them at a cost of $5.00 per tire.
Although we have been able to enjoy some great weather over the past month, we all know what is coming eventually. Josh Hereford and Nick Sandage will be totally prepared for what is in the future. Enjoy the fall colors as long as they last.
Basically, we have two months left in 2023. Enjoy!
Larry K. Dodds
Mayor, Village of Colfax