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Colfax council approves $15,000 employee survey; Winterfest budget left for later vote
Summary
The council unanimously approved a $15,000 contract with Shelby HR Solutions for confidential employee interviews and a report. Separately, Winterfest organizers presented vendor and cost estimates; council asked staff for a formal event budget and agreed no city funds should be spent until council reviews written numbers.
Colfax City Council voted unanimously Oct. 8 to hire Shelby HR Solutions to conduct an employee satisfaction survey and confidential one-on-one interviews.
Staff described the contract as a flat fee of $15,000 plus reasonable expenses. "It's $15,000, flat rate plus Miss Shelby's reasonable expenses," staff said. The consultant will interview roughly 19 city employees off-site, prepare a confidential report to city staff, and the city manager will present aggregated findings to the council for follow-up.
The vote followed Council discussion that employee-retention and internal controls are important both from a human-resources and annual-audit perspective. Councilmember Trinity moved approval; the motion passed with an "aye" vote recorded by the mayor.
On the community-events front, Winterfest organizers reported vendor sign-ups (roughly seven food vendors and about ten craft vendors confirmed) and preliminary expenses. Staff recounted prior Winterfest city contributions — $7,000 last year and $8,100 the year before — and presented an estimated worst-case event budget of about $20,517.05, with major costs including fireworks (~$12,000) and portable toilets (~$3,500). Councilmembers pressed for a written budget and for clarity on whether nonprofit funds should be tapped for fireworks; they declined to adopt a resolution tonight authorizing the city manager to administer the event and directed staff not to spend city coffers for Winterfest without returning with a formal budget request.
Next steps: Shelby HR Solutions will begin confidential interviews; staff will circulate a detailed Winterfest budget before council considers any disbursement of city funds.
