Simon Elected Holly Mayor, Landfill Consultant Selected

Brad Simon was voted in closed balloting as Mayor of Holly by the Board of Trustees during their monthly meeting, Wednesday, April 2.  Simon’s was the only letter sent to the Trustees, expressing interest in the position.  He will be officially sworn in during the June meeting, and the board will accept letters of interest from those qualified residents wishing to serve as a Trustee, filling Simon’s position in that capacity.  Simon will serve a two-year term as mayor. 

After considerable review, the board selected low-bidder, American Environmental Consulting, Inc. as the firm to oversee the task of bringing the town landfill into compliance with Colorado Department of Health and Environment regulations.  The cost of the three year project is $58,500, and will be paid for by rate increases at the landfill.  For the past year, Holly Administrator Marsha Willhite, has brought several of the problem areas into compliance, working under an extension provided by CDPHE.  She said AEC Consulting has technical and engineering sources needed for the remaining projects that go beyond her scope, and the contract provides for the firm to act as consultants on landfill issues for several additional years.   The Trustees deferred action on another landfill matter, a rate reduction request for periodic use of the landfill by a professional contractor.  The Trustees said they needed to review the rate structures in order to balance use of the landfill against the fees charged.  Holly’s fee for the contractor’s specific use is several hundred dollars less than what is charged at Lamar’s landfill.  The matter will come before the board at the June meeting. 

The variance request to reduce the width of Third Street from 70 to 40 feet was approved by the Trustees.  Holly School Board President Cory Thompson had made the request at last month’s meeting.  He said the new design will improve drainage with new curbs and gutters directing water flow south to Highway 50. 

This season, the Holly swimming pool will offer a family night on Sundays.  Becky Kalma returns as Pool Manager and Kala Neill as assistant manager.  Three other persons were hired to maintain the pool through the summer.  The board reviewed the pool private party agreement and voted approval, pending recommended changes to financial responsibility for any damages incurred by renters beyond their initial deposit.  The deposit will also be forfeit if the pool is reserved and there is a cancellation without notice. 

The annual ARPA and Town of Holly Scholarship was divided between two recipients who will receive $500 each; Kayla Marie Guiterrez and Stetson D. Rushton.  The board approved spending $7,200 as a non-budgeted expense for repairs to the town’s North Substation Regulator.  The regulator will be rebuilt and subsequently, when put back into operation, other regulators will be sent out for repairs, leaving one ‘banked’ as a spare.  The town’s 14.376 Buffalo shares will be put out to bid.  There was no response last year at a bid request of $42 per share, and the Trustees decided a minimum $20 bid will be allowed to shareholders as a first preference when they are advertised for bid.

Holly’s generator supplied power to the town when a tornado knocked out a substation in Lamar.  Terry Whisenand, Field Services Supervisor, said the generator was used for 14 hours Thursday and Friday, and for 3.5 hours on Sunday.  All town fire extinguishers were tested and some that were outdated have been replaced.  Prior to the tourism season, the hot water heater was turned on and the restrooms at the RV park have been cleaned and opened to the public.  Acting on a complaint, water samples were taken and sent for testing from the Tasty House Restaurant.  The outside faucet tested normal, but the ice maker was found to contain mold.

By Russ Baldwin