Lamar City Council Wraps up 2012

The Lamar City Council voted to approve several end-of-year city-oriented housekeeping measures during their final meeting of the year, Monday, December 17, 2012.

City Administrator, John Sutherland, reminded the audience of the annual holiday office schedules during which the city offices will be closed December 24 and 25 and Tuesday, January 1 for New Year’s Day. The city council monthly informal breakfast will be held Wednesday, January 2, at Burger King from 7am to 8am for any interested citizen to attend.

As a follow up on the council’s December 10 meeting, the city employee healthcare insurance contract will continue into 2013. The healthcare cost contract to the city will be increased by 10% for next year which will be absorbed by the 2013 budget, and the city will contribute 75% of that while the employees contribute the 25% balance.

A resolution was approved adopting Amendment #5 to the City of Lamar Money Purchase Pension Plan. Educational material was developed by a Colorado Springs attorney which will allow city employees to decide which pension plan offered by the city best suits their individual social security retirement policies benefit or a 401K type policy.

The 2012 city budget was amended by an approved resolution appropriating monies to defray expenses in excess of amounts budgeted for the City of Lamar. The Sales Tax Fund had revenues and expenditures increased from $3,489,340 to $3,710,000 to the General Fund. Excess Sales Tax Revenue was transferred to the General Fund for the Unemployment Fund from $15,025 to $60,000 and the unanticipated revenues and expenditures from the Library fund in the amount of $14,200 were also transferred.

The Lamar Library is purchasing some new shelving for book displays from a supplier that was used in 2003 and 2007. The shelving matches the current style used in fiction, non-fiction and children’s areas of the library and will cost $81,941. The city had budgeted $85,000 for the project which will be completed while the library is closed next March for a series of upgrades for lighting, electric fixtures and retrofitting the garage for library storage.

The next regular city council meeting will be held, Tuesday, January 15, 2013.

By Russ Baldwin