All Entries in the "Utilities" Category
New Windfarm Construction Set for this Spring
Thirty-six wind turbines are scheduled to be built 23 miles south of Lamar beginning this spring. Mark Stacy, the director for Iberdrola Renewables LLC, told the Prowers Journal that roadwork east of Highway 287 is expected to begin in April. “Our operations and management building will go up in March and our central location will […]
Granada Trustees Approve Donation of Building to Camp Amache
John Hopper, of the Amache Preservation Society, approached the Granada Trustees with a request to relocate an historic building from the Camp Amache Detention Center from the town park back to the Amache site. Hopper said he has a pending grant from the National Park Service, but only a week or so to use it […]
Finance on the Agenda as LUB Closes 2016
Two action items on the Lamar Utility Board’s agenda dealt with finances for the approaching year. Board members unanimously passed the annual resolution for the Charter Appropriation Adjustment Tariff. The appropriation for 2017 is $1,610,223 and is derived from a formula involving the amount budgeted to the City of Lamar for the next year which […]
City Sales Tax Shows Slight Monthly Drop
Sales tax for the City of Lamar dropped slightly for the October 2016 sales which were collected in November. City Sales Tax was off 3.08% for a decline of $7,941.41 putting 2016 collections for the month at $249,570.96 compared to 2015 figures of $257,512.37. Total Sales and Use Tax collections came in for the month, […]
Groundwork Starts on Lamar Pocket Park
Preliminary construction work on the proposed Pocket Park for downtown Lamar has begun. An excavation crew from Carrigan Construction was on the scene, Thursday, December 1st, scraping away the top most layer of asphalt and dirt, making way for a sand base which will be more concrete friendly, according to Mark Carrigan. “We should be […]
ARPA Wins Jury Trial Against Boiler Manufacturer
ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority, won a $4.2 million verdict against boiler manufacturer Babcock and Wilcox in U.S. District Court in Denver on Monday, November 21st. Rick Rigel, ARPA General Manager said, “The eight person jury verdict confirms what we have maintained all along about the boiler; it was not efficient with regard to EPA standards […]
Lamar Council Okays Police-Fire Department Equipment Upgrades
The Lamar City Council approved a request for a software program to aid in police investigations. Police Chief, Kyle Miller, explained the free program from Tracers Information Specialists will provide access to public records and data sources to qualified organizations. Chief Miller explained, “The information will only be used for investigations by the department. The […]
County Seeks $1M Grant for Courthouse Repairs
The Prowers County Courthouse, constructed and dedicated in 1929, is in need of at least $1M in upgrades. The Prowers County Commissioners have applied for a grant to cover the costs of the comprehensive project which includes a new HVAC system, complete replacement of the electrical infrastructure and LED lighting replacement and retrofits. The courthouse […]
City Sales Tax Remains Healthy as Year Winds Down
September City Sales Tax collected in October grew 3.77% for a $10,447 increase over the previous year, putting monthly collections for 2016 at $287,753 compared to 2015 at $277,306. Total Sales and Use Tax collections were up 6.21% for a dollar gain of $18,168. Total collections for September 2016 were $310,968, up from […]
City Projects Move Ahead
Local residents should see some construction work begin on the proposed Pocket Park in downtown Lamar, as well as some preliminary work by December, on the CDOT-Main Street renovation project. The Lamar City Council acknowledged that the construction bid for the Pocket Park came in higher than anticipated, but decided to start work on the […]
Otto New Mayor for Granada
Mayor Pro-Tem, Glenn Otto, took his oath of office as Granada Mayor during the Trustees monthly meeting, Wednesday, November 9th. As pro tem, he assumed the seat vacated by former Mayor, C.F. DeForest when he resigned after moving out of the district. Argie Thrall was appointed the new Mayor Pro-Tem by unanimous consent of the […]
Derelict Demolition Continues, Street Improvements are On-going
Twenty-one down and five to go; that’s the tally for derelict houses being brought down in the City of Lamar so far this year. Pat Mason, City Public Works Director, provided the estimate for the Lamar City Council during a Monday night work session. “We are continuing to work on our street and city improvement […]
Useful Statistics Can Provide Info for Local Retail Growth
A review of 1623 households within a 25 mile radius from Lamar indicates a number of residents have spent upwards of $150 on shoes for a child under one year of age. The same propensity applies for similar purchases for sweat suits, underwear, dresses and outerwear. The same report shows that of 793 households, very […]
Boxley and Steerman Assume Positions at Lamar Utility Board
Lamar resident, Clifford Boxley and attorney Don Steerman, began their service with the Lamar Utility Board on Tuesday, October 25th. Boxley was sworn in as a board member by Judge Stan Brinkley, replacing Howard Hobbs who resigned earlier this month due to health issues. Boxley has been a resident of Lamar since 1964 and serves […]
City Council Discusses Variety of Agenda Items
Sean Lirley and Wayne Stiles have both served on the City of Lamar Building Codes/Variance Boards in the past and the council voted to recommend their appointment for continued membership. On a similar matter, with the resignation of Howard Hobbs from the Lamar Utilities Board, a vacancy opened for his term expiring August 2018. The […]
