2022 Year in Review – APRIL

LCC Instructor Staff

Here are some new events highlighting events which had an impact on residents of Prowers County

Lopes Day Ribbon Cuttings at Lamar Community College

Lopes Day, April 14th, was an eventful day at the Lamar Community College campus as four ribbon-cutting events were held, highlighting the construction projects which will augment the academic curriculum and social atmosphere at LCC.

Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held for the My Advancement Plan (MAP) Center at the Betz Technology Center, the Student Union, the elevator project at the Bowman Building and the CTE Building, Career and Technical Education Building on campus which will house the college’s Precision Agriculture, Construction Trades and Renewable Energy programs which is located on two levels.

LCC President, Dr. Linda Lujan, who is retiring this year, said these additions to the college will serve for years and years to come as she introduced various educators during the final ribbon cutting ceremony for the school’s CTE center.
By Russ Baldwin

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City Council and County Combine Efforts for Infrastructure Facilities

During the April 11th City Council meeting, a letter of support was approved which was issued by the Prowers County Commissioners for Congressionally Directed Spending funds for projects including a Rural Fire Station Project, funds to demolish the former SOS building on East Elm Street and repurpose it into office space and to fund efforts for recruitment, scholarships and EMT training to offset shortages of emergency medical staff for ambulance services and other emergency response groups.

In a related matter, the council approved a motion to ratify a letter of support from the same funding source, CDS, that can be used to finance the city’s much needed Wastewater Treatment Facility Project.  The Prowers County Commissioners issued their own letters of support for the city’s request for funding approval.
By Russ Baldwin

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Lamar Council Votes Against Challenging Court Ruling on Petitions

The Lamar City Council voted no twice, following an open discussion of the avenues left open to it regarding the March 24, 2022 District Court ruling by Judge Michael Davidson, declaring the marijuana election results invalid.  The votes were challenged in January resulting in a court trial against the City of Lamar and City Clerk.

Judge Davidson ruled that because the petitions were nullified due to insufficient signatures through a clerical error, ultimately, the votes cast in the November 2021 election to legalize marijuana sales and subsequent sales tax levies in Lamar, 2A and 2B were also invalid.  That in turn, negated the two ordinances, 1248 and 1249, the council scripted to authorize the sales and the sales tax following the majority of election votes cast in favor of each question.

During the open work session and City Council meeting on April 4th, Mayor Kirk Crespin  laid out the questions the council needed to consider, “Should the council vote to enter into ligation to appeal the judge’s ruling or should it accept that decision,” he explained, adding that the council would also decide whether to act to place the questions before the voters in 2022 without the petition process, or decide to take a step back and see if interested parties would handle the process of organizing another petition drive for later this year.

The overall thrust from the dozen or so speakers was to have the petition process done over and to keep the city out of the initiating process.  “Let the people decide on the issue.” was the general comment made by most speakers.  The petition drive was organized by a marijuana enterprise group out of Pueblo known as SoCo Rocks.

Each council member commented on their view of the situation, again generally in support of abiding by the ruling of the court whether it was for or against the validity of the election votes.  The council was unanimous in their vote not to pursue any future litigation challenging the court’s March 24th ruling.  The council was split on whether it would place or ‘refer’ the marijuana questions, legalization and taxation, before voters this November, at this time, eliminating the need for petitions.  Council persons Crampton, Bellomy and Jenkins voted yes with Mayor Crespin, Tamez, Riley and Gonzales voted no.
By Russ Baldwin