Timeline Set for Lamar’s Main Street Project

Andrew Sparn and Josh McGibbon of JVA Engineering

The start of the re-surfacing project for Main Street in Lamar is about five months down the road. The Lamar City Council recently approved an agreement with JVA Consulting Engineers for bidding and construction management services for a fee of $130,000.  The company will provide oversight for the final design phases for the water line infrastructure upgrades that will initiate the project.  JVA has been involved with the city on various projects for several years.  The company is now working with the City of Lamar’s Public Works Department for the pre-design, cost-estimating, funds development and final design phases of the city’s project to replace the water distribution and storm-water collection infrastructure beneath Highways 287/50 through the City’s Main Street corridor.  The next phase of the project is bidding out the work and actual construction is slated to begin near the end of September.

Josh McGibbon, Vice-President of the environmental firm, provided an update of the Main Street Water Distribution Project during the council’s June 13^th meeting.  This work will replace the water lines under Main Street before CDOT contractors put a nine inch layer of concrete on the roadway.  The basic plan is to replace the 60 year old water lines before the new road surface is put down.  McGibbon said the old lines were manufactured with some lead and asbestos cement in the service lines.  The project will move forward after CDOT goes to bid for a contractor to put in the lines and the new road surface. He said there will be minimum cost to the City, given the scope of the project.  “The distribution system has been funded in part thru a $1.6M grant from DOLA as well as a $400K contribution from CDOT for their portion of the project.  We asked for a total loan of $1.6M from the state revolving fund and $1.4M was forgiven and turned into a grant which required the balance of a $200K loan for the city.  That is a pretty incredible financing package for the distribution system which is expected to start in October,” he explained.

Andrew Sparn of JVA said the loan agreement is acceptable to all parties and just needs to be officially signed off. “There is one other area which is still in negotiation, the intergovernmental agreement between the City of Lamar and CDOT for responsibility for maintenance of the street; who will do the snowplowing and so forth.”  He added that the wait right now is on CDOT’s part.  This was an area of discussion at the outset of the project, as Main Street currently belongs to the state, not the City of Lamar and as such, the City contended that CDOT should continue to bear the costs for maintenance.  Sparn presented the remaining timeline prior to construction.  “Final plans should be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration by June 27^th with their reply expected by July 1^st.  CDOT will advertise for construction bids by July 14^th with a bid opening by August 11 and awards for the job should be done by September.  We expect the first phase of the project running between the Lamar Canal and Park Street to be completed by the summer of 2018.”  He added that there are local construction firms who can submit their bids, as they are qualified for this type of project.

An ordinance to amend the city’s municipal code relating to asbestos was passed on first reading. In 2006, the council adopted regulations to control asbestos exposure during construction, renovation and the demolition of appropriate buildings.  Since that point, some regulations and guidance from the state has altered.  The amendment will help eliminate confusion between state and local definitions and to improve compliance issues.

Lamar City Engineer Wiley Work

Sue Kilpatrick had her request to remain on the Lamar Housing Authority approved by the council. Her term expired this month and she was re-appointed for another five year term.  Gary Oxley was re-appointed to the Lamar Planning and Zoning Commission for a five year term.  Larry Eberhardt was re-appointed to the city’s Adjustment and Appeal’s Board for a term expiring in 2020.  Wiley Work, City Engineer, told the council, “Mr. Eberhardt has served on this board since 1990 which shows a lot of dedication to his city.  I just thought that should be mentioned in light of his continued service.”

Daniel Neuhold submitted the lone bid for janitorial services at the Colorado Welcome Center. Neuhold has been awarded the bid for the past five years with a pay rate of $675 per month, the same as the prior year.  The council recommended approval of the contract contingent upon the city receiving the annual Welcome Center contract from the state.  The council approved a lease agreement with the state, pending approval of City Attorney, Garth Neischburg, for the space leased at the SOS Center for the Lamar Workforce offices.  The lease expires on June 30, 2016.  The council also approved a six month contract agreement for $2,000 to water the flowers in the city’s planters along Main Street.

Main Street Flower Pots

The council ratified a recent phone poll vote to purchase BNSF liability insurance for $1,150 for constructing water/stormwater distribution lines under the railroad crossing in downtown Lamar. One bid was received from Nova Somina LLC to lease 300 shares of the Lamar Canal and Irrigation Company for the 2016 irrigation season for $12 per share.  The city sub-leases the water shares from Lamar Light and Power.

City Administrator, John Sutherland, noted future dates of activities for the city and community-at-large including: the Lamar Auxiliary Firehouse Carnival, Friday, June 17^th from 5:30 to 9pm at Bicentennial Park, City Offices will close for the Monday 4^th of July holiday; the US 50 Corridor public hearing will be held Monday, July 11 from 5 to 8pm at the Lamar Community Building.

By Russ Baldwin