New Faces Coming to Holly Town Board

So far, so good, for the match-up of persons wanting to serve on the Holly Town Board and the number of vacancies listed.  Holly Town Administrator Marsha Willhite presented a resolution that will cancel the scheduled April 3 election if no more candidates sign up with the Town Clerk by the March 16 deadline.  The persons who might sign up now would be write-in candidates.  If there are no changes, Marty Campbell, Larry Sitts and Frank Vazquez will become board members.  Vazquez is running to continue his current position on the board.  David Crossland and Casey Rushton are not running for re-election. 

Several board appointments were approved by the Trustees during their March 7 meeting.  Maris Dupree was appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Library Board until the end of the year; Kammie Cathcart, JoAnn Padia and Anthony Garcia will continue on the town’s VALE board with Prowers County Undersheriff Ron Trowbridge as an alternate.  Cathcart will chair the board and advise members on disbursement of funds and serve a three year term as will Trowbridge.  Padia is serving a new two year term and Garcia, a one year term.  Austin Hazen was approved to fill the unexpired term of Gustavo Puga on the Holy Housing Authority Board.  Puga resigned from the position. 

In other action, the board decided not to re-plat parcel four, the area west of the Romer Subdivision in the city.  They felt that maintaining the area as a future easement for traffic was sufficient.  Board members also approved renewing a four year contract with NMPP, Nebraska Municipal Power Pool.  The company performs in energy audit for the town, as well as gathers pertinent information for sales of electricity to Holly customers.  The cost is $1,100 per year. 

Administrator Willhite recapped events from the February 16 open house at the Post Office regarding proposed zoning changes for the town.  Citizens met that morning with Department of Local Affairs representatives who answered questions regarding any revisions.  She said the zoning map will reviewed and public hearings on the proposed changes will need to be scheduled.  Recent tests from a system of groundwater monitoring wells are showing positive or a clean status.  Willhite said the contamination of the area along North 8^th Street had been cleaned up years ago from the 1987 event, but had continued to be monitored for recurrences along Davis Circle, 7^th Street and Pine Street.   She noted the city will conduct an outdoor siren warning system test on Wednesday, March 14.  She said it will occur in the afternoon, but the hour is not being made public.  Residents will hear a series of different siren blasts and horn patterns.  The test will be postponed if there is threatening weather that day. 

The town service report covered continued prairie dog curtailment measures at the city landfill and the landfill fence has been repaired and a new berm has been built up around the fuel tank.  A temporary utility pole was erected for the trailer used by Adolfson and Peterson, the construction firm building the new school.  Some spilled sewage was cleaned up on North 10^th Street.  A line plugged which caused sewage to flow onto the ground in that area.  Clean up measures were taken to sanitize the ground.  A number of dumpsters had lids and broken wheels replaced and street repairs continue throughout  the city.

By Russ Baldwin