Lamar City Council Moves Forward on Waste Water Project

The City of Lamar is moving forward with a water quality improvement project as the city council ratified a phone poll for a WQIF grant for $243,300 with a local match of $30,350 for the completion of the project.

The city owns a wastewater treatment facility headworks building, lift station and fine screen and is showing structural degradation on the 2010 facility due to constant exposure to corrosion. The city hired JViation Engineering to complete documents for upgrades and replacement for the headworks building.  This includes rehabilitation of concrete structures, installation of a new protective coating and the installation of a new headworks fine screen basket.  The city is also working to address the source of corrosion in the sanitary collection system upstream of the headworks.  Failure of the headworks building is a future given event due to the corrosion.  Concrete has eroded, rebar is exposed in several areas and the fine screen basket is on the verge of failure.  The lift station is needed to convey influent wastewater to the rest of the wastewater treatment facility preventing back up in the collection system.  If the system fails, the city’s facility would not be able to meet the requirements of its discharge permit, impacting downstream receiving waters.

The city of Lamar and Lamar Re-2 School district renewed their three year intergovernmental agreement for $19,000 a year.  This grants the district a license to use the ballpark complex, merchant’s park complex, indoor batting facility and Lamar community Building.  The only change to the agreement is the length of the contract.

The concession contract with the Lamar Savage Booster Club to operate in the Lamar Community Building was approved by the council for a new year. The city receives 8% of the net income for the 2019-2020 year.

The facilities use agreement between the city and Denim and Lace was approved for a year. The annual contract is for use of the community building is $2,839.  The only change is dates of use.

The community building’s leaking roof will be brought under control with a temporary repair job, performed by Total Roofing for $15,450. The council authorized the repair project while the 2020 budget has set aside funding for a complete roof repair over the gym area.

A new, five-year agreement for use of a room at the Lamar Library by the Social Services Administration was approved by the council. The SSA has a program which allows citizens to use the private room to receive video-conferencing advice, eliminating the need to travel to La Junta or Pueblo to confer with a Social Security representative.

Laura Monson was appointed to the Lamar Tree Board for a three year term, replacing Susan Hansen.

The council approved CIRSA’s 2020 property and liability renewal agreement. CIRSA is the city’s liability insurance carrier.  There will be an adjustment to the premium due to law enforcement liability claims and the fact that Colorado now has the reputation of being No. 1 in hail losses nationwide.  All CIRSA members are experiencing premium increases.

The Lamar Police Department received permission from the council to apply for the annual Victim’s Assistance and Law Enforcement (VALE) grant for 2020 for $15,841. Last year’s grant request of $14,705 was fully funded.

The council approved Resolution 19-09-02 pertaining to fees imposed in municipal court. A discussion was held by the council earlier in the month by Lamar Police Chief, Kyle Miller, who outlined how the new fees would be applied by the court.  The municipal court charges $20 for a victim’s fee for each traffic or ordinance violation conviction or deferred judgement as a court cost, a $20 fee for the Lamar Fire Department fireworks display or for the Lamar Library Fund and a $20 docket fee.  The new resolution will route the $20 victim’s fee over to Explorer Scout Troop No.225.

Several future events were noted including the council’s monthly informal breakfast, scheduled for Brew Unto Others on Wednesday, October 2^nd from 7 to 8am; the annual Lamar Chamber Oktoberfest, set for Saturday, October 5^th; a council budget work session will be held Monday, October 7^th and Boots, Bling and Blessings will be held at LCC’s Equine Complex at 6pm on October 19^th.

By Russ Baldwin