2018 Year in Review JULY

Rick Robbins, (file photo)

Colorado Mills Exploring Solar Farm Power Options

The high cost of electricity was highlighted during the July 24th meeting of the Lamar Utility Board as Colorado Mills General Manager, Rick Robbins, and Tim Hume discussed the cost-saving option of developing a solar powered generation unit for the Lamar based company.

Robbins was one of several local businessmen who originally approached the LUB and Arkansas River Power Authority ARPA around five years ago, regarding the high cost of electricity at their respective businesses. Rates have not changed for the better he noted, distributing to board members, a power cost analysis sheet showing how Colorado Mills’ rates have increased from $0.10491 on average, from 2005 to the more current $0.16988, or almost seventeen cents per kilowatt hour averaged in 2017.  “Our best year for electric costs was 12 years ago,” he commented.

LUB Attorney Don Steerman and Light Plant Superintendent Houssin Hourieh said the pending agreement with Tri State G & T to purchase ARPA is about 3 to 4 months away and without revealing any specifics, said the current situation is likely to improve. Hume said he’d be willing to meet with ARPA to explore those possibilities while the company will continue to look at the three cost-saving options they had mentioned earlier.

Official Prowers County Primary Election Results Posted

The official June 26th primary election results for Prowers County were released by the County Clerk and Recorder on July 13th.

The contested GOP race for Prowers County Treasurer went to Judy Wittman with 1,232 votes and Kayla Koehn received 746 votes. As there is no other challenger for the position, Wittman will take over County Treasurer duties following her swearing-in ceremony in 2019.

Council Takes No Action on Sage Brush Service Plan

Proponents of the Sage Brush Meadows nursing home came no closer in their goal of having the Lamar City Council vote to approve their Service Plan for the 54 bed home during the council’s regular meeting on Monday, July 23rd.   The group’s window for moving forward for a November ballot issue closes on July 30th, according to the timetable required for placing a question before City of Lamar voters this fall.

During the public comment portion of the meeting Jillane Hixson, spokesperson for the group, asked the council to reconsider their current stand and allow the resolution for the question of a 1% special use tax district to be placed on the ballot.

Mayor Roger Stagner acknowledged that the city has been in contact with the new owners of the nursing home to see about reconstructing some of the bathroom facilities for residents. Speakers at past meetings have been vocal about the restrictions door space has had on wheelchair bound residents and the fact that despite having had several owners over the years, the current nursing home is apparently able to operate with few changes because of ‘grandfather’ clauses.

Hixson asked the council for a vote on the service plan, but was denied as Stagner said the question had not been placed on the meeting agenda and no motion was made by council members for an alteration.
By Russ Baldwin

Holly Fire and Ambulance Board of Directors Re-Appointed

The Prowers County Commissioners passed a resolution on Monday, June 25th re-appointing the current five members as directors of the Holly Fire and Ambulance District. They are:  Robert Fletcher, Viola Melcher, Dale Seufer, Thomas Wagner and Janice Weisenhorn.  This act makes the board representation official as there had been no duly elected board for some time.

Following a Colorado Revised Statute, the board will hold a special election no later than December 25, 2018 for the purpose of electing members to the Board of Directors. Prowers County Clerk and Recorder, Jana Coen, said a tentative special election date will be set in the near future, probably sometime in October.  The election will allow for any other interested and qualified residents of the district to announce their candidacy.  The new board members will also be able to run for re-election.

Five board members will be determined by the election and two will serve until 2020 and three will serve until 2022. A drawing will be held to determine which of the five will serve the two different terms.