Council Sets 2020 Budget, Sends Ambulance Agreement to County
Barbara Crimond | Oct 15, 2019 | Comments 0
City of Lamar ambulance service will be continued in areas of Prowers County not served by the Holly Ambulance Service. This past June, Prowers County agreed to a six month contract for $60,000 in which ambulance service would be provided to those areas until December 31st. The city and county had agreed to a one year term which could be renewed on or before December 15th. The extension calls for the same services for a one year term at a fee of $120,000 which will be forwarded to the county for its approval.
The council passed an annual ordinance on first reading to provide for the appropriation of revenues and expenditures and adopting the 2020 budget for the City of Lamar for the fiscal year beginning January 1st. The General Revenue Fund is set at $8,681,941; the Sales Tax Fund at $3,921,246, Capital Improvement Fund at $1,600,000, Sanitation Fund at $1,488,685, Water/Sewer Fund at $5,932,746 and Lamar Ambulance Fund at $510,802. Another ordinance was passed on first reading to levy and collect taxes in the City of Lamar for fiscal year 2020 with the mill levy at 13.239 mills for each dollar of the total valuation for assessment of all taxable property within the city as of 2019. It’s expected the city will collect $450,288 in 2020, an increase of approximately 4.7% from $429,781 in 2019. This will mark the 32nd consecutive year the city has operated without a property tax mill levy increase.
The Lamar Urban Redevelopment Authority passed Resolution 11-09-01 in 2011 understanding that the URA should assume the requirements of the Economic Development Incentive Agreement for ten years, beginning in 2011. During its October 14th meeting, the Authority approved a payment of $10,636.63 from that 2011 incentive agreement between Prowers County and the owner of the Holiday Inn Express, Avik Amin. The sum, paid by the Lamar City Treasurer, is 50% of the Prowers County portion of real property taxes assessed on the motel. The Lamar Redevelopment Board also conducted a public hearing on the 2020 budget which was set at $175,350. A last reading of the budget will be held November 25th.
The Lamar City Council passed on second reading, Ordinance # 1233 following a public hearing which allows residents to keep and maintain no more than ten hen chickens on private property with the payment of a permit from the City of Lamar. Specific building and safety requirements were outlined on the proper care and confinement of the hen chickens. The public may obtain a permit 30 days from the passage of the ordinance.
A public hearing on the proposed 2020 budget for the City of Lamar was conducted with no objections and Houssin Hourieh, Lamar Light Plant Superintendent, presented the 2020 Lamar Utility Budget for the council’s review. The Utility Board and not the council approves the budget.
November 11th was set for a public hearing for transfer of ownership/lodging and entertainment liquor license for the Max Hotel, also known as the Stockmens Motor Inn at 201 South Main Street in Lamar. The building has been sold to Nancy Clark, Jarod Clark and Holly Clark and submitted the necessary paperwork for the transfer of the existing license.
The council set October 28th for a public hearing for the Re-plat of 8A and 8B Paseo Place as Dalene Perdue wants to move the property line between her two parcels of land to allow better access around the home at 8A Paseo Place.
The council set October 28th for a public hearing for review and public comment on the proposed Water Conservation Plan update which was begun by the City of Lamar in 2015. The updating was financed through a grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The plan is now ready for adoption pending a required public review and comment period.
The Lamar Police Department received approval to provide security services for the 2019 Holiday Basketball Tournament at the Lamar Community Building December 20th and 21st. The fee is not to exceed $490 for the officers’ time.
The council authorized the Mayor’s signature for the city’s Interactive Health Employee’s Wellness Evaluations, a blood-drawing event for full time employees and spouses not covered by the city’s insurance. The evaluation will be held November 20th and 21st and the contract calls for the agreement to be in perpetuity or until the service is no longer utilized.
The council approved an agreement with BidNet which will provide additional coverage to help spread information about the city’s future bid notices for larger construction projects. There will be no cost at first to join BidNet, but there will be additional costs for postage, press release distribution and programming if the city’s site needs to be customized and commission fees if the city conducts a surplus auction using BidNet’s site. City Treasurer, Kristin McCrea, said there would be a $195 set-up fee.
The Ports to Plains Highway project linking Mexico to Canada by way of several U.S. States has been under-funded by the federal government and involved states: Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and South and North Dakota. This lack of funding has meant that local communities are absorbing the impact of increased freight traffic on roads not designated to handle the increased volume. The Plains Alliance believes this could be turned around with the designation by the State of Texas of Interstate-27 as a corridor for formal recognition of the highway on the national level and a chance to gain federal funding for safety improvements. The Alliance is encouraging members to adopt Resolution 19-10-01 to support the highway’s designation through Colorado. The council approved the resolution emphasizing the need for highway development to continue through Highway 287 and not Interstate 25 which runs through New Mexico.
Mayor Roger Stagner issued an invitation to the Lamar community at-large for a reception he is hosting to honor the Citizens of Lamar as a means of showing his gratitude for the opportunity the city extended to him for the past ten years of his service as Mayor. The Come & Go will be held at Brew Unto Others on Tuesday, October 29th from 6pm to 8pm.
The council went into executive session for the purpose of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations regarding possible upcoming business under CRS 24-6-402(4)(e).
By Russ Baldwin
Filed Under: City of Lamar • Consumer Issues • Economy • Featured • Police Report • Sports • Utilities
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