March 28, 2024

Colfax City Council adopts new one-way traffic ordinance

The Colfax City Council voted to wave the third reading of an ordinance that would change the flow of traffic along various areas near the Colfax-Mingo Elementary School to allow for safer traversing for school kids.

The flow of traffic according to council documents would include West Washington Street between Walnut Street and Locust Street to be eastbound only and the north-south alley connecting West Washington Street and West Division Street will be southbound only.

The cited changes in ordinance 633 came about due to safety concerns brought up that deal with students having to weave in and out of buses and across the street due to the location of the bus doors and their relation to the street, according to Colfax Mayor David Mast.

“The bus doors are on the far side and the kids are going between and around the buses,” Mast said.

The council voted to waive the third and final reading of the ordinance to allow for it to take effect Dec. 23. This will allow for the children to be on Christmas break and allow for some time for residents to get used to the changes.

“They will be off for vacation people can start to get the idea over the holidays ... The first couple days there will be extra personnel,” Mast said.

There was more business to be handled with the water main project Monday night. The process of rebidding is under way with the first being for North League Road and according to city engineer Steve Klocke the bid came in about 42 percent lower than the first time it got sent out.

“I’m glad we ended up rebidding it. So far it seems like we are getting better prices,” Klocke said.

The rebids will continue to go out and once completed they will be reviewed at the January city council meeting with a recommendation on the best course of action.

In other business:

• The reelected city council members and mayor were administered the Oath of Office at the regular Colfax city council meeting Monday. These members up for election won their races with overwhelming support.

• The council approved a resolution to allow the mayor to sign documents in relation to allowing U.S. Cellular to build another tower near the original tower in town that is currently in the cemetery. The old tower will only remain until the new one is completed and functional and then the old tower will be taken down. The new tower will also allow the ability to have a flag flown on it for various occasions such as Memorial Day.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com