All Entries in the "Utilities" Category
Lamar Utilities Board hears report of wind storm damage at March 25 meeting
Damage from recent wind storms The board approved purchase orders 630705 through 630740 for $100,678.88. A large item requiring board approval was to Tri County Ford for the purchase of a 2025 ¾ ton pickup truck. Annual crane inspections accounted for another $4,775.30, annual membership dues to Employers Council Services totaled $3,675, quarterly PUC […]
Colorado ranchers in uproar over feds’ high-voltage power corridor
Rancher Bob Bamber leans against his truck near a power substation across the road from his family’s ranch outside Lamar For Bob Bamber, the connection goes back to his great-great-grandfather, who homesteaded north of Pritchett, a tiny Baca County town of barely 100 people not far from the Oklahoma state line. So the 44-year-old rancher […]
Lamar Utilities Board meeting of March 11, 2025
he Lamar Utilities Board met for a regular meeting on March 11, 2025. Board member Jill Bellomy was unable to attend the meeting. Minutes from the previous meeting of February 25, 2025 were approved. Purchase orders 630667 through 630704 were approved. Purchase orders totaled $696,879.05, of which $679,268.97 needed Board approval. $661,876.92 of that amount […]
ARPA board meeting summary for March 2025
ARPA Transitions to New Power Supplier. Beginning on February 1, ARPA began purchasing power supply and scheduling and transmission services from Guzman Energy. The 18-year power supply agreement with Guzman began on February 1 and will extend through 2043. The new agreement provides predictable, fixed wholesale power pricing which has enabled ARPA to lower its costs to its […]
ARPA announces nominations are open for annual awards program
The Arkansas River Power Authority Announces Nominations Are Open For Its Annual Awards Program The Arkansas River Power Authority has announced that nominations are open for its 2024 awards program. ARPA is an intergovernmental power authority and public corporation that was created by the municipalities of Holly, La Junta, Lamar, Las Animas, Springfield, and Trinidad, […]
Lamar Utilities Board approves mutual aid and assistance agreement with ARPA and area municipalities
The Lamar Utilities Board met Tuesday, February 25, 2025 for a regular bi-monthly meeting. All board members were present for the meeting. Purchase orders 630638 through 630666 in the amount of $118,634.13 were approved. $92,750.00 of this amount was for the purchase of replacement transformers. $9,184.50 went to Campos EPC, LLC to pay for the […]
Interstate power lines threaten farmers’ land in southeastern Colorado
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article provides more in-depth information about the controversial proposed electrical transmission corridor that was discussed at the recent Prowers County Commissioner’s meeting. A federal plan to accelerate electrical grid updates is meeting major resistance in communities across the country, including three Colorado counties Transmission lines along Prowers County Road 13, north of […]
Lamar Utilities Board meeting February 11, 2025
The Utilities Board had a short meeting agenda for the February 11 meeting. Purchase orders 630598 through 630637 were approved, totaling $805,445.84, with $785,760.13 needing board approval. Electricity purchased through ARPA was the largest of these, in the amount of $646,103.32. Quarterly insurance to CIRSA was also a large purchase order, in the amount of […]
Lamar Utilities Board meeting of January 28, 2025
Board members Jay Brooke, Jill Bellomy, Patrick Leonard and Elmer Grett were present for the January 28, 2025 meeting of the Lamar Utilities Board. Chairman Doug Thrall was not in attendance but participated via phone call. After approving the minutes from the January 14 meeting, Purchase Orders 630564 through 630597 were approved. Of the $314,388.08 […]
ARPA Board adopts 2025 budget at December 2024 meeting
ARPA Board Adopts 2025 Budget: At its December 5, 2024, meeting the ARPA Board of Directors approved its operating budget for 2025 in the amount of $22,797,964. There will be an 8% rate reduction for 2025. This follows on the heels of two previous rate decreases, 3.57% in 2021, and 2% in 2019. The 2025 budget includes: Revenues of […]
Lamar Utilities Board Meeting of January 14, 2025
All Board members were present for the meeting. The first item of business was the reorganization of the board for the present year. Elected as chairman was Doug Thrall. Elected as Vice-chairman was Jay Brooke. Elected as Superintendent was Houssein Hourieh. Lance Clark was appointed as Attorney. Authorized for check signing were all five board […]
Building a grid good enough to support thousands of new EVs and heat pumps will cost Colorado Xcel customers $5 billion
Visible power lines surrounding the Xcel Cherokee Power Station with the Denver skyline in the distance on December 4, 2024. (Kathryn Scott, Special to The Colorado Sun) State’s largest utility wants new and improved substations to meet “a demand on the grid we haven’t seen since the advent of air conditioning” Xcel Energy, seeking […]
Lamar Utilities Board Meeting of December 10, 2024
Board reorganization had to be tabled once again due to city attorney Lance Clark being unable to attend the meeting. Minutes from the November 26, 2024 meeting were approved. Purchase orders 630452 – 630486 totaling $685,100.50 were presented, $666,810.81 of which needed board approval which was unanimous. The ARPA power purchase was by far the […]
Lamar Utilities Board meeting of November 26, 2024
Board Chairman Doug Thrall was absent for the meeting of November 26, so Agenda item #1 (reorganization of board to elect Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Superintendent and Attorney) was tabled for the second time, as all board members need to be present for the vote. Minutes from the November 12 meeting were approved unanimously. Purchase orders totaling […]
Lamar Utilities Board meeting 11/12
Minutes from the October 29, 2024 were approved. Also approved were Purchase Orders 630384 through 630418 for a total amount of $215,448.81. Large items in these purchase orders were $57,113.46 for line hardware, and $817,322.94 for October power purchase from ARPA. The Board approved Bid #2055 for street lights, photocells and mounting arms. These are […]
