Chip Seal Work on Holly Streets to Begin this Month

Holly Depot

The Holly Town Trustees received word of a setback in their long range efforts to secure certification for FEMA approved flood plain zoning and insurance certification in their community, based on improvements to the town’s levee system.  City Administrator, Marsha Willhite, explained during their monthly meeting, Wednesday, June 5, that a study showed a deficiency of between 300 to 500 feet where the levee free board doesn’t meet standards at the river bridge crossing at State Highway 89, south of Holly.  The town will need to hire a hydrology engineer to study the area in question and determine a course of action for improvements.  It had been hoped that the new bridge would improve water flow during high water periods to reduce the scope of the flood plain affecting the residents and businesses of the Holly community.  That water flow ability will be incorporated into the flood plain mapping project. 

Willhite, in a written response to this reporter’s question added, “Any progress on the flood plain mapping for the county will carry forward toward completion with Holly’s method of mapping being temporarily reported as “seclusion” in that all areas adjacent to the levee have been remapped to the exclusion of inside the corporate limits of the town.  When the free board standards are met, it is the responsibility of the town government to secure certification of the levee. Upon certification, the Town of Holly proper will be included with the new county-wide floodplain mapping revisions. The town government and the Holly Flood Control Board will begin working together to find the best path to success with securing certification.”   The Trustees approved salary increases for two employees:  J.W. Neal will remain Acting Field Services Supervisor, but did accept a salary increase for his position.  A recent high school graduate, Keenan Davis has been working for the town and will begin lineman training in Trinidad this January.  He will now be a fulltime employee of the town until his classes begin at the end of the year. 

Claudia Parker, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer will receive classroom instruction next month in Boulder at the Colorado Institute for Municipal Clerks.  According to City Administrator Willhite, several years of instruction is required to receive certification for the position.  Parker was hired last year in her current position. 

Chip seal priorities were discussed by the Trustees.  A Lamar company, Black is Beautiful, will be in Holly next week to review the areas of concern and begin work on those listed as high priority.  That includes the eastern portion of Cliff Street, the northern portion of 10^th Street near the church, north Main Street and Highland and Pawnee Streets.  Willhite said the town has budgeted for the chip seal and overlay projects.  She said the street repairs for the town had been laid out in quadrants before the devastation of the tornado several years ago, and the immediate needs for repairs throughout the community disrupted the schedule for upgrades.  Door hanger notices will be posted in the neighborhoods earmarked for street work, alerting the residents of the future work schedules.  The monthly crew report noted some lighting repairs in the town including the Depot office, ballpark, pole and lights at the north end of the swimming pool, and parts are on order for repairs to lights on Main Street and Highway 50.  The municipal pool has been cleaned and filled for the summer season, but was closed briefly last month when the boiler needed repairs.  Lamar Light and Power assisted town crews with a voltage problem for a resident.  The problem was found to be on the customer side of the meter. 

The administrator’s report covered several areas including information from CDOT approval of a permit for access requested by the school for drainage improvements at 3^rd Street and Highway 50.  A utility permit requested for a new customer at Milepost 465 was approved and work on the overpass between Granada and Holly is expected to begin this year.  No specific date was given, nor did project information note if the overpass would be navigable during construction or if a detour around the project will be provided. 

Dan Tefertiller will begin to rebuild the south exterior wall of the Holly Theater in the auditorium.  Willhite said the city will haul off the construction debris to reduce costs.  The roof will either be replaced or repaired, pending the amount suggested in two bids.  The city has budgeted an approximate amount for either project. 

Bids were offered for repairs to the Depot.  This entails a seal coat for the parking lot and trim painting and installation of bird spikes on the Depot.  The parking lot is coated every five years and the last paint trimming project was nine years ago.   

Administrator Willhite and Trustee Campbell attended at meeting on possible repurposing ideas for the Shanner School.    It was hosted by the school board and an engineering firm and grant writer attended the open forum.  A report on suggestions will be available in July.  The grant writer is Kathy Finau who has developed several projects for area communities in the past few years.  Willhite will attend a June 12 Solid Waste & Materials Workshop in Pueblo as well as the annual conference for the Colorado Municipal League, June 18-20, where she has been asked to make a presentation.  Willhite recently conducted a class for the Division of Parks and Wildlife regarding tornado disaster economic recovery efforts.  The Board of Trustees meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7pm.

By Russ Baldwin