Hainesville expands village holdings

Hainesville expects to receive much from its $824,000 purchase of a drilling company’s property next to village hall.

Village officials are preparing the former Boysen Well Drilling building for use as a public works facility, as well as for storage of equipment and documents.

Mayor Linda Soto said the Boysen Well property also should be a revenue-producer for the village. She said the site purchase includes a cellular telephone tower expected to generate $1,500 of income per month and extra office space that’ll can be offered for rent.

“We’re excited about the purchase for several reasons,” Soto said.

Village board trustees approved the $824,000 purchase in a 5-0 vote last month, with $600,000 of the cash coming from a loan. Soto said the original asking price was $1.1 million, and an appraiser hired by the village claimed it was worth $965,000.

Plans call for the structure to be ready for Hainesville’s use by March 1. The village closed on the purchase Jan. 18.

Hainesville’s lone full-time public works employee who is the department’s superintendent, Jeff Gately, will have a place for two trucks, a John Deere tractor used to cut grass in wetlands, a device that power washes sewers and other equipment. The 14,000-square-foot Boysen Well structure includes a garage with eight doors and up to 18 feet of clearance.

Soto said Hainesville’s new village-owned facility will save taxpayers the $900 a month that has been paid to rent space for the public works equipment.

Hainesville outsources many public works duties, such as snowplowing, major road projects and operation of drinking and wastewater systems. Part-time public works employees are brought in when needed.

Another benefit of the property purchase is a deep well on the site for drinking water, officials said. Soto said the well is capable of producing much water and can be easily upgraded for municipal use.