Council Taking Steps for Future Outdoor Projects.

Bryan Kincade, Victor Salcedo, Tresa Holbert and Martin Montoya

The Lamar City Council unanimously ratified an earlier phone poll for permission to apply for a $90,000 grant from the Colorado Health Foundation. The action was taken during the Monday night Council meeting on February 25^th.  The funds will help defray costs with the Nature Play Center to be built at Willow Creek Park.  Rick Akers, Lamar Parks and Rec Director, told the council this will be a match grant for new and updated playground equipment for local children.  The funding for the match was included in the Inspire Grant awarded to the city several years ago.  The concept helps promote an interest in nature experiences and a means for youngsters to become more connected to their community.  The areas for development include Willow Creek Park, the Lamar Loop and North Gateway Park.

Lamar Public Works Director, Pat Mason, singled out four employees from the city’s Water-Waste Water Department for having studied to achieve certification in their work areas. They are Bryan Kincade, Victor Salcedo, Tresa Holbert and Martin Montoya.  “These individuals have been studying for some time to be able to pass and complete their levels of certification, usually doing a lot of it on their own time.  If you never believed one day you’d really find a reason why you studied all that algebra in high school, now you have a chance to put it to use,” he told the four.

Ryan Cook from the Lamar Fire, Ambulance and Emergency Department was mentioned by Mayor Roger Stagner for having achieved a higher performance grade having passed his EMT Intermediate test. At this point, all the responders in the department have achieved their Intermediate level certification.

The council gave approval to apply for a $90,000 Fishing for Fun grant for improvements at North Gateway Park. The Parks and Rec Department will use $90,000 from the GoCO Inspire Grant as the required cash match for a total of $180,000 in funding.  The application is due March 1st.

The city is taking steps to help rid the parks, ballfields and cemeteries of gophers. Demonstration equipment was used two years ago and proved to be more efficient that current trap devices.  The cost of the equipment, $10,253.61, will be paid for from the city’s Conservation Trust Fund.  Parks and Rec Director Rick Akers said there has been an infestation of gophers over the past year and he trusts the new piece of equipment to help eradicate the varmints.

Another phone poll was ratified approving the submission of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Volunteer Fire Assistance Program Grant application for $2,000. This will pay for equipment for the new fire truck.  This is a grant match and the fire department is using funds already budgeted in their operating line item.

A third phone poll was ratified approving the submission of a letter of support which will be included in the INFRA Grant for CDOT’s plans to construct additions to the Highway 287 Passing Lane Project extending to the Oklahoma State line. The letter, from Mayor Roger Stagner, states in part, “We support this grant application not only because of the highway safety issues it addresses but because this corridor is a major driver of economic development not only for the agricultural communities of eastern Colorado, but also for the state and counties that it serves for transporting goods to market.”  CDOT is seeking almost $10 million with a similar state match to construct the passing lanes.

The council designated local banks and other institutions for the deposit of city funds for 2019. They include GN Bank, (formerly Valley National Bank), Frontier Bank, Community State Bank, Legacy Bank, and TBK for the deposit of city funds.  Additionally the city passed resolutions which allow funds to be deposited with Edward Jones, Colo Trust and CSAFE.

Following an annual bidding process for the purchase of fertilizers to be used by the city over the next year, three bids were received and after factoring preference points, the council awarded the bid to Van Diest Supply Company of Loveland for $12,877.90.

Resolution 19-02-01 was passed by the council authorizing City Attorney, Garth Neischburg, to file a court action to Abate Public Nuisance at 700 N 11^th Street and 704 West Logan Street in Lamar.  The resolution states that a dwelling house and an adjoining mobile home, located on the same premises have been found by the Chief Building Official to be unfit for human habitation and the structures are public nuisance constituting a danger to the public safety and welfare.  Neischburg stated the absentee owner has been properly and repeatedly notified of the violations with no result.  The building currently has no utility hookup.

The council tabled the first reading of an ordinance on revisions to the Lamar, Colorado Municipal Code which provides a codification of the ordinances of the City of Lamar and repeals several ordinances, adopts secondary codes and provides a penalty for their violation as well as stating the means by which codes may be amended. Mayor Stagner said an addition needs to be made to the ordinance stating that if one portion of the codes is incorrect, it does not automatically invalidate the other portions of the code.  A new date for the hearing will be made at a future council meeting.

A council work session for March 4^th was called off as there would have been a date conflict with the annual PEP meeting which will be held at the Shore Arts Center that evening, the monthly informal breakfast will be held at the LCC cafeteria from 7 to 8am on Wednesday, March 6^th and a reminder was given for the return of Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 10^th at 2am.

The council authorized the draft of a letter of support for a proposed name change for the Lamar Municipal Airport to the Southeast Colorado Regional Airport, according to airport council liaison, Oscar Riley. “The name change and the recent airport certification for fuel handling could open the doors for more air traffic, especially now that the new certificate allows corporate jets to use the airport, making us one in four in the entire state of Colorado,” he explained.

By Russ Baldwin