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Votes at a glance: Onalaska Board of Public Works and Utilities actions, April 1, 2025
Summary
The board approved multiple routine construction contracts, equipment purchases and required reports; below are the motions, motions’ outcomes and key details recorded in the April 1 meeting.
The Onalaska Board of Public Works and Utilities approved a set of contracts, purchases and reports at its April 1 meeting. The items below summarize motions, outcomes and the key facts available in the meeting transcript. Where the transcript did not list full vote tallies or maker names, that absence is noted.
Votes at a glance
- Theodore Road Improvements project (agenda item 4): Motion to award low bid to McCabe Construction for $700,777 (motion to approve bid “not to exceed $700,777”); motion approved. Staff said the engineer’s estimate before bid had been $850,000 and the city budgeted $880,000; the low bidder accepted a bid error that favored the city of about $12,000.
- MS4 stormwater annual report (agenda item 5): Motion to approve the city’s MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) annual report and associated public-education activities; motion approved. Staff described partner outreach (La Crosse Waters public education group) and noted the city faces rising documentation expectations from the DNR; the report will be submitted and the city expects the next DNR 5-year audit in about three years.
- Construction staking and observation services (agenda item 6): Motion to approve construction staking and observation for the cemetery columbarium project and the Sand Lake Road curb ramp/lighted crosswalk project, not to exceed $13,800 (SEH contract); motion approved. Staff said the projects will be paid from separate project budgets (columbarium capital funds and TID 6 lighting project funds).
- Purchase of 2029 Pierce Velocity bumper tanker (agenda item 7): Motion to approve advance-payment purchase schedule that uses $500,000 reserved in the 2025 budget plus an additional $619,921 from the equipment replacement fund to capture prepayment discounts; motion approved with one recorded dissent (Keith). Single bid received March 17 for $1,314,159; delivery estimated fall 2029; staff recommended proceeding to lock in price due to an expected vendor price increase in mid-May.
- Purchase of public works tool truck cab & chassis (agenda item 8): Motion to purchase cab and chassis through Wisconsin state vehicle bid from Ewald Automotive Group for $59,834; motion approved. Upfitting costs to be budgeted in 2026 (estimated additional ~$80,000).
- Single-engine mechanical street sweeper (agenda item 10): Motion to purchase an Elgin (Broom Bear) mechanical sweeper not to exceed $384,667 (trade assumed at $25,000); motion approved. Staff recommended the Elgin for parts availability, onboard water capacity and hydraulic systems versus air systems; extended warranty options discussed.
- Public Works Department pay estimates (agenda item 15): Motion to approve 13 pay estimates dated April (specific contract/pay items listed in packet); motion approved.
Other routine items approved without extensive discussion included approval of the previous meeting minutes and acceptance of the Public Works 2024 annual report for informational purposes.
Where transcript did not provide full roll-call tallies, this summary notes recorded yes/no statements. In a small number of motions the clerk recorded only voice votes (ayes/nays); only one motion in the transcript recorded a named no vote (Keith on the fire tanker advance-payment motion).
