WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau’s Finance Committee approved protective measures for the Riverlife development foundations during a special meeting on Wednesday.
Committee members approved contracting with Samuels Group for $25,000 to complete the work sometime in the next two weeks, which Eric Lindman says is designed to protect the foundations for whoever picks up the project. “Anything we can do to prevent that frost from going down there, prevent any damage,” he said.
Lindman says Samuels will essentially be putting a blanket over the foundations to keep the frost from getting below them, which could cause cracks and frost heaves in the spring after the ground thaws. City leaders chose Samuels to complete the work since they laid the foundations to begin with. “It keeps all the liability on them, so if there’s any damage that happens for any reason it’s on them and not on the city or anyone else. They are very comfortable doing it and they said they know exactly what they need to get done.”
The $25,000 price tag for the project will be paid for out of the Tax Increment District, but Lindman says it’s money the city could recoup down the road depending on how negotiations with Barker Financial over the liens filed against the project go. “Anything additional that would come back to the city could reimburse this if it comes to that.”
The Finance committee called the special meeting for Wednesday to make sure the project is completed before colder weather sets in, Lindman says he expects the work to be completed within two weeks.
