Gays Mills will join with Crawford County and others as part of a joint pre-application for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for the June 2013 flooding, the village board decided at a special meeting on Thursday, Oct. 10.

Specifically, the village intends to work with Community Development Alternatives to seek a buyout of two properties through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The village board proposed seeking a buyout of 600 Main Street (the former Gays Mills Elementary School) and 325 Gay Street, a house currently owned by Jessie Johnson.

Steuben will also join the pre-application for the grant, as that village seeks the buyout of a property as well. CDA, the Prairie du Chien-based consulting firm, will coordinate the grant application between the county and the municipalities.

Later in the meeting, the Gays Mills Village Board voted to meet in closed session to consult with their legal counsel, attorney Eileen Brownlee. The agenda item stated the closed session was “to discuss litigation in which the village is likely to become involved.

Following the closed session, the board reconvened in open session and approved a motion to reduce the contract amount by $5,000 to Showen Excavating for the elevation of rental property at 218 Park Street. The elevation is grant-funded and one of four or five currently underway or about to get underway in the village.

An initial contract for $79,000 to be paid by Community Development Block Grant funding appeared to be offered to the local firm as the low bidder last month. However, paperwork, which involved contractor licensing, put the bid on hold at the board’s regular Monday meeting.

Showen Excavating was offered the contract to perform the Park Street elevation for $74,000 at Thursday’s special board meeting.

The Gays Mills Village Board also scheduled a budget meeting for Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. The regular Gays Mills Village Board meeting remains scheduled for Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Community Commerce Center.