Lamar Approves Grant Funding to Help Identify EPA Problem Areas

Municipal Offices in Lamar

Ayres Associates from Cheyenne, WY, has been hired by the Lamar City Council during their December 10^th meeting to provide an EPA Brownfields Assessment known as the Prairie Crossroads Project for the City of Lamar.  The funding will be provided through a $300,000 grant awarded to the city this past fall, according to Angie Cue, Community Development Director.  The project was put out to bid October 24th and Ayres Associates was the only contractor to bid for the work.  Ayres Associates, which has been involved in other city projects, will work to leverage the $300,000 EPA grant into broader funding sources.  The primary task of the contractors will be to make an environment assessment of problem areas within the main commercial district of the City of Lamar and recommend improvements.

The City of Lamar and Prowers County are moving forward on a six month Intergovernmental Agreement which will have the county paying the city $60,000 for Ambulance and Emergency Medical services in Prowers County outside the municipal boundaries of the City of Lamar and excluding the service area of the Holly Fire and Ambulance District.  The IGA makes the agreement formal and outlines the terms and conditions of the delivery of service and the payment schedule between both parties.  The agreement calls for two payments of $30,000 to be made on January 15, 2019 and on April 15, 2019.  The agreement may be extended another six months through another written contract between both parties on or before June 25, 2019.  If no agreement has been reached by that date, Lamar will end its obligation to provide ambulance service outside the city limits of the City of Lamar.  The council approved the IGA which will be sent to the Prowers County Commissioners for action on their part.  If the IGA is not signed by them, the City of Lamar will discontinue service outside the city limits as of the end of the year.

The city council, on a three to two vote, approved a liquor permit application for modification of premise for Safeway Store #1721 on East Olive Street in Lamar. The company plans to add additional shelving and refrigeration to add two new sections in the store.  Beginning in 2019, the State of Colorado will allow full strength beer to be sold in grocery stores and accommodations are being made to display the new merchandise.  A public hearing was held prior to the council’s vote during the December 10th meeting.  Three residents, Galen Burnett, Theresa Snyder and Cynthia Kasza spoke in opposition to allowing the shelving additions.  Mathew McMillan, Safeway Store manager, explained that any purchase of alcohol must be done with proven identification, no matter the age of the buyer and his company will immediately fire any employee who sells beer to an underage client.  He added that the Safeway chain uses its own TIPS certification training program and the store will be independently audited each month for compliance.  Voting in favor were council members Crampton, Haggard and Rodriguez, against were Crespin and Riley and Jenkins abstained.  Mayor Roger Stagner did not attend the December 10th meeting.

City Administrator, John Sutherland, detailed future events of interest for the community including the retirement party for County Treasurer, Lorraine Woolley, Wednesday, December 19th from 2-4:30pm at the County Courthouse, Retirement Party for City Human Services Manager, Bert Davis, Thursday, December 20th from 3:30-6:30pm at the Multi-Purpose Room at the Community Building. Sutherland noted that Davis has been employed by the city for 30 ½ years.  The City Council decided to cancel the final meeting date of the year, set for December 24th until a new schedule is approved in 2019.  The council decided there were too few items on a future agenda to warrant a meeting so close to the holiday schedule. The council’s monthly informal breakfast is set for Wednesday, January 2, at Ports to Plains Ranchers Restaurant from 7-8am.  City offices will be closed December 24-25 and January 1st.

By Russ Baldwin