All Entries in the "Utilities" Category
City Receives Fire Insurance Rating Upgrade, Tables Talk on Tiny Homes
Lamar Fire Chief, Jeremy Burkhart, provided an ISO, Insurance Services Office, insurance rating update for the City of Lamar during the September 12th council meeting. Burkhart explained the new Public Protection Classification as of December 1st of this year will be 02/2X, based on an analysis of the structural fire suppression delivery system […]
BUSINESS OPERATIONS – September 2022
ARPA Board Reviews Preliminary 2023 Budget: A preliminary budget was presented to the ARPA Board of Directors at its August 25 meeting. The budget includes total revenues of $30.6 million, power supply costs of $14.9 million, transmission costs of $3.5 million, A&G costs of $1.2 million, and debt service costs of $8.3 million. The budget also […]
LUB Approves Transformer Rewiring Project
The Lamar Utility Board approved $301,192.75 in purchase orders from a total of $313,747.45 during its Tuesday, August 23rd meeting. The approval orders included $157,000 to rewind a failed transformer which had been discussed by the board in an earlier meeting. Superintendent Houssin Hourieh said his research showed quotes between $130,000 to $165,000 compared […]
LUB Ponders Cost of Replacement Transformer
Lamar Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, noted plant crews replaced the T-3 wind turbine’s main bearings and collector ring as well as the installation of five, man-lifts on all five wind turbines. He said the devices will help improve efficiency and reduce stress on the wind turbine crew during the August 9th Utility Board […]
LUB Gets Recap on Power Outages
On Sunday, July 17, turbine T-3 tripped offline due to a generator fault. The turbine was scheduled for generator main bearing and collector ring replacement and IPS Wind Turbine Services was on site as of Monday, July 25th to effect repairs and replacements. Light Plant Superintendent Houssin Hourieh also reviewed the power loss from Tuesday, […]
County Planning Commission Sets Tri-State Public Hearing Date
Representatives from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association provided the Prowers County Planning Commission board with a general outline for a 22-mile, above-ground 230-kV transmission line for a A-2 Non-Irrigated Zoning District. One of the first steps is to hold a public hearing on the request for a Special Use Permit for the project. […]
Colorado Public Utilities Commissioners to Hold Regional Outreach Meetings
Denver, CO – Commissioners of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) are reaching out to statewide constituents beginning Thursday, July 21 regarding utility issues and future gas clean heat plans to be submitted by regulated utilities. Commissioners Eric Blank, Megan Gilman and John Gavan are inviting the public to attend these community meetings to discuss […]
LUB Notes Weather Impacts to Service, Annual Customer Stats
Lamar Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, noted the board has been tracking the total number of connected customer meters since 1999 every May. He told the board this past Tuesday, July 12th, there were 5,777 connected meters for May 2022 for 4,063 customers. The highest level was in 2003 with 5,836, and the […]
Lamar Utility Board Covers Finances on June Agenda
The Lamar Utilities Board approved $37,608.28 in purchase orders this past Tuesday, June 28th, from a total of $48,432.54. The board paid bills for May amounting to $895,434.58 of which $803,263 was for the monthly power purchase from Arkansas River Power Authority. Light Plant Superintendent Houssin Hourieh told the board six bids were submitted […]
ARPA Business Update
BUSINESS OPERATIONS – July 2022 ARPA Holds Its Annual Pole Top and Bucket Truck Rescue Safety Training: ARPA member municipalities participated in the annual pole top and bucket truck rescue training in La Junta in June. The annual training brings together approximately 40 personnel from the six ARPA member systems. The training is one […]
Lamar Council Discusses Tiny Homes Regulations, Accepts Brownsfield Grant
The Lamar City Council, under the June 27th consent agenda, approved Ordinance No. 1523 which amends the Lamar Municipal Code, encouraging the residents to enjoy and safely use North Gateway Park. The body of the ordinance pertains to an off-leash area for dogs at the park and use of a future designated archery range. […]
New Lamar Stadium Planned for RE-2 School District
The Lamar RE-2 District School Board heard a presentation from Nick Nemechek of GMCN Architects, from Garden City, Kansas as he outlined the steps required to begin plans for a replacement stadium for future sporting events for the district. The board had discussed the need to either replace or repair the aging facility […]
Final Phase of 287 Project Gets Underway
The third and final phase of the US 287/50 resurfacing project through the southern section of Lamar began in late May 2022. Motorists and pedestrians have been witness to preliminary groundwork and survey teams on site along South Main Street up to Savage Avenue and north to Park Street. The project will remove the […]
May Valley Water Addresses Rate Concerns to Lamar Utility Board
Greg Colvin, President of the May Valley Water Association and Robert Fleming, board member, asked the Lamar Utilities Board what are the available rate schedules for May Valley’s potable water well and pumping facilities this past Tuesday, June 14th. They also asked about the potential of the Lamar Light Plant swapping some out-of-territory customers […]
Lamar Council Okays Street Name Change, Liquor Permits
The Lamar City Council approved Resolution 22-06-01 renaming South 11th Street to Thunder Drive to match the recent change of the Lamar High School’s mascot to Lamar Thunder during its June 13th meeting. The street runs north/south connecting Savage Avenue to Yucca Drive. The new, official mailing address for the high school will […]








