Council holds public hearing for 2025 budget, discusses Escondido Park soccer field conditions
Barbara Crimond | Oct 14, 2024 | Comments 0
Lamar City Council met for a regularly-scheduled meeting October 14, 2024. Gabe Beard of Lamar came forward for the audience participation portion of the meeting with several questions concerning the city’s recent decision to move the $350,000 yearly settlement amount from ARPA from the Lamar Utility Board to the city’s General Fund. He asked how much city residents’ electric bills will increase due to this and if this will be a permanent move. Mayor Crespin told him the amount will be minimal, “perhaps around $2” and said that more information will be available later in the meeting. City Treasurer Kristin Schwartz, told Council that she had received a PO from Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the North Gateway Dock project, which will involve installation of an ADA-compliant fishing pier on the east pond as well as a fish cleaning station. Of the $160,000 project, CPW contributed $120,000. City Clerk Linda Williams presented the September Sales and Use Tax report. Collections increased 2.46% over 2023, for an amount of $10,585.47. Year to Date collections also increased, by 7.5% over 2023, for an amount of $292,608.12. Rob Evans, City Administrator, announced that the October “Coffee with Rob” dates are the 16th, 23rd and 20th, all at AM Breakfast. There will be a Historic Preservation Workshop at Big Timbers Museum on October 21st from 6-8 pm. The Chamber of Commerce’s yearly “Moonlight Madness” event will be held Thursday, October 24th from 5-7 pm. The Lamar Library has several upcoming events. He reported that the city’s milling and paving project is nearing completion.
In Old Business, amendment of Resolution 24-04-01, which concerns the city’s Sick Leave Sharing Program, was tabled until the next meeting. The first item under New Business was discussion of the soccer field at Escondido Park. Parks and Recreation Director Anthony LaTour gave a timeline of recent events that have occurred concerning the conditions of the field. He said that on August 5, the city had a meeting with LCC’s Athletics Department concerning the playability of the field. On October 3, it was learned that NJCAA deemed the field “unplayable” due to poor field conditions. On October 4, preliminary soil samples were taken before meeting again on October 7 with the LCC staff. On October 10, Larry Musser, a consultant from Colorado Springs with extensive experience working specifically with athletic fields, was recommended to Mr. LaTour. Mr. Musser joined the meeting via Zoom and explained that he has seen preliminary soil and water samples from Escondido. He initially noted that the well water at the field has a very high sodium content, which is detrimental to the grass. He will be visiting Lamar and taking more samples before presenting a plan to remedy the situation, but said there are several options to pursue based on those samples. Parks and Recreation employees have been signed up to receive training from Mr. Musser on continued maintenance. Also speaking to Council about this was Dr. Reyes of LCC, who thanked Council for seeking outside expertise. She said that while it was “disappointing” to have the school unable to play their home games, she was thankful to all who initially made the partnership to create the field possible, as it is a “blessing to the school and the students” who benefit from having the soccer program.
Houssin Hourieh, Superintendent of Lamar’s Light and Power Department, presented his department’s 2025 proposed budget. The budget includes total revenues of $16.1 million, $15 million from retail electric sales and the rest primarily from wind turbine production. The 2025 budge is proposing total operating expenses of $15.1, which includes $9.4 million for power supply. Additional expenditures included $1.5 million for personnel costs, $2.8 million for repairs and maintenance, approximately $1.7 million for Charter Appropriation and $1,293,000 in capital outlays for contingency funding, substation and line work, wind turbine parts, vehicles and misc. other equipment.
Council then voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 24,10-01, which amends Resolution 24-09-01 to add requiring City Council to annually review its decision regarding the allocation of the $350,000 ARPA settlement money to the city’s general fund. Mayor Crespin stated that he has gotten a lot of questions from citizens regarding the decision to move the money from the utility board to the general fund. He explained the reasoning, saying that Council felt it prudent to “repurpose” the funds to help offset costs for the wastewater treatment plant project and further explained that salary and employee benefit costs to the city have substantially increased in the past few years and that Council felt the money would have a bigger impact to the community by moving it to the General Fund.
In other actions, Council voted to allow the Police Department to apply for the Victim’s Assistance and Law Enforcement Grant for 2024. They will be requesting $20,221 for the grant with no required match by the city. Also approved was awarding a bid to Recon Holdings, LLC in the amount of $175,340 for work on the lead service line project. In addition, the city recently received a grant in the amount of $63,000 towards the project.
Appointed to boards were Jay Brooke to the ARPA Board of Directors, finishing the term of Roger Stagner who resigned due to his recent election as a County Commissioner and Rod Dunn to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Mr. Dunn is finishing the term of Clifford Boxley, who resigned in 2023. Also appointed to the Adjustment and Appeals Board was Chris Wilkinson, taking the place of Todd Horning, who will step down in December due to moving from city to the county with a recent home build.
Ordinance No. 1274, which provides for the appropriation of revenues and expenditures and adopting the budget for the city of Lamar for the fiscal year 2025 was read in full by Mayor Crespin and passed on its first reading. A second reading will be at the next meeting. Ordinance 1275, an ordinance to levy and collect taxes in the city of Lamar for fiscal year 2025 was also passed on first reading. The mill levy of 13.239 mills will collect $429,177 in 2025. It will be the 37th consecutive year that the city has not increased the property tax mill levy.
Council then adjourned for two Executive Sessions with the city attorney. The next meeting of Lamar City Council will be Monday, October 28, 2024 at pm.
By Barbara Crimond
Filed Under: City of Lamar • Featured
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