All Entries in the "Utilities" Category
Lamar Utility Board/ARPA Close Another Segment of Lamar Repowering Project
The Lamar Utility Board met Tuesday, September 14th and discussed a provision of the settlement agreement from February 2016 between Arkansas River Power Authority, the City of Lamar and the Lamar Utility Board. Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh explained that ARPA has furnished a Corporate Surety Bond for $2M which named LUB as […]
Holly Trustees Search Options for New City Well Development
The Holly Trustees reviewed their options for the town’s water infrastructure plan during their monthly meeting, Wednesday, September 1st. The town’s wells are aging out and a new water storage tank is also needed. Following a Zoom meeting with Water Engineer Nick Marcotte from Element Engineering, the Trustees are looking at the most financially […]
City Purchases New Fire Truck
The Lamar City Council combined a planned executive session with a last minute public meeting to discuss the need to purchase a replacement fire truck for the city’s fire department. Fire Chief Jeremy Burkhart explained that the department’s oldest structural fire engine failed its annual pump certification. The unit is 30 years old, […]
Council Discusses Ark Valley Conduit Funding
What began as an idea for improving water quality for southeast Colorado residents back in 1962 has gone through numerous stages of planning, design, EPA studies and funding resources. It’s still on the table, connecting stored water in Pueblo Dam to share with communities connected to the main trunk and spur lines as […]
Lamar Utility Board Reviews 2022 Budget
Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, provided a view of the proposed Capital Improvement and Operation and Maintenance segments of the 2022 budget for Utility Board members on Tuesday, August 24th. A substantial amount of the budget is for repeat expenses and remaining generally in line with the previous year’s financial projection. Capital Improvement […]
City Administrator Search Resumes, Troy Manor Property May Have a Buyer
Lamar Mayor, Kirk Crespin, and the city council set an executive session for August 30th to meet with the city administrator search team representative, Larry Gilley of SGR, to discuss four new candidates available for the position. “We can look at the new candidates and make a decision from that point, or we can […]
USDA Approves Colorado’s State Hemp Plan, Creating a Pathway to Expanded Operations and Testing
LONGMONT – Governor Polis, Commissioner Kate Greenberg, and officials from the U.S. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the approval of Colorado’s State Hemp Management Plan that provides details on practices and procedures to enable hemp producers to operate in Colorado in compliance with federal laws. “Colorado is the undisputed leader in […]
PUC Rules in Favor of LUB in Rehearing Bid from SECPA
Lamar Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, noted to the Lamar Utility Board during its August 10th meeting, an update from the Public Utilities Commission from Wednesday, August 4th. PUC, he said, ruled in favor of the Light Plant and denied SECPA’s application for rehearing, re-argument or re-consideration of Decision No. 21-0368. The Commission […]
ARPA Business Operations Report-August 2021
2020/2021 Operations: As the ARPA Board prepares to begin its budgeting process for 2022, it does so by looking back over a handful of significant events that occurred during the first half of 2021. The events ranged from the repurposing and demolition of the Authority’s coal fired Lamar Repowering Plant to new legislation impacting the operations […]
New Search for New Administrator, Highway Work Continues
The City of Lamar will have to wait a longer period until a new city administrator is selected. Mayor Kirk Crespin reiterated his remarks from an earlier facebook update that no candidate was chosen from the short list of two who visited Lamar recently. During the Monday evening council meeting on […]
John Martin Reservoir Invasive Species Removal
Join the US Army Corps of Engineers Saturday, September 25th, Saturday, from 8am to Noon, and help clear tamarisk from John Martin Reservoir and restore habitat for native wildlife. Tamarisk, also known as salt cedar, is an invasive species that hogs light, water, and nutrients, which harms native plants and the wildlife that depend […]
Lamar Utility Board Reviews Wind Turbine Performance
The Lamar Light Plant’s three wind turbines have generated 6,083.10MWH’s of electricity at an average capacity factor of 30.57% which is about 11.33% lower than the same period last year. T-3 turbine has generated more than the other two turbines. T-4, ARPA’s unit, ranked 4th in MWH generation. The Springfield turbine has generated […]
SCEDD Housing Project for Southeast Colorado
The housing shortage in southeast Colorado is critical and a center point for future economic development in this region. Without adequate housing, prospective employers will pass on a community where there are no homes or apartments for employees. SCEDD, Southern Colorado Economic Development District and SECED, Southeast Colorado Enterprise Development Incorporated have joined […]
Granada Moving Forward on Housing Project
The Granada Trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding which will allow a housing construction program for the community to move forward, one of several similar programs being undertaken in southeast Colorado. The trustees met with Michael Yerman of SCEDD, Southern Colorado Economic Development District and Stephanie Gonzales, Executive Director of SECED, Southeast Colorado […]
Lamar Utility Board Reviews Meter Use, Recaps LPR Clean-Up
Lamar Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, brought the Lamar Utility Board up to date on a brief history of tracking numbers for customer meters which has been performed every month of May since 1999. That month, there were 5,778 connected meters for 4,056 customers with a high in 2003 of 5,836 connected […]
