Several repairs needed to floorboards, skirting
By Kellen Olshefski
SLN Staff
The City of Elkhorn is looking to make some repairs to the Sunset Park Band Shell now that the Holton Elkhorn Band’s season is over.
Public Works Operations Manager Neal Kolb, who started with the city in July, said at the City of Elkhorn Municipal Services and Utilities Committee’s July 25 meeting that there are some issues with the band shell.
According to Kolb, there are a number of needed repairs, including some rotting floor joists on the south side of the stage, the skirting in the front and floorboards rotting out.
Alderman Hoss Rehberg asked about the possibility of having public works staff handle the repairs.
Kolb said the city has a couple of staff members with carpentry skills that would be capable of completing the work, noting he had already asked around a little bit, though the only concern would be time constraints.
With the band’s final concert of the season come and gone, Rehberg said he doesn’t know if it’s critical the project be completed immediately and it could probably wait until September of October.
Kolb said it was highly unlikely either his men or a contractor would be able to complete the work last week anyways and repairs likely wouldn’t need to be completed until next year’s Holton Elkhorn Band season begins next spring.
Rehberg noted Kolb’s request asked for a budget adjustment and questioned why the money for the project wouldn’t come from the parks fund.
Kolb said being new to the City of Elkhorn and its procedures, he understood there wasn’t money set aside for this specific project and chose to go that way. However, he noted that is certainly an option to look into.
Mayor Howie Reynolds questioned whether anyone had reached out to Gary Wallem, who had offered several years ago to help with the rehabilitation of the band shell.
Committee members asked Kolb to conduct a bit more research into details of the project. In addition, committee members asked Reyonlds to reach out to Wallem to gauge his interest in being a part of the project.
The topic is expected to come back to the committee’s next meeting in August.
