Granada Begins Sidewalk Safety Project, Discusses Elm Beetle Infestation

Granada High School Will See Safe Routes to School Project This Fall

A single bid was submitted for the Hoisington Street, sidewalk safety project in Granada. MonCor, LLC was the lone bidder for the CDOT funded project which will start early next month. Granada Police Chief, David Dougherty, who has been overseeing the local aspect of the project, told the Granada Trustees the bid came in at $350,000, which is $7,000 lower than the engineer’s estimate. Dougherty said the project should take about 45 days depending on weather conditions. The scope of the sidewalk and curb project was scaled back to only Hoisington Street because the available grant fell short of the cost of the original project which was to extend to Highway 50.

The chief’s monthly report included the repairs needed for both police cars due to recent hail damage. Several municipal buildings also had damage from hail, mostly to office roofs and to a metal roof covering one of the town’s water tanks. Several contractors will be contacted to provide a repair estimate before submitting the project for insurance reimbursement.

Bricks Falling from Upper Level of Building

Dougherty also mentioned that the buildings directly west of the community complex are in the process of being condemned, “I’ve located the owner of the building and will send a letter giving them the option of bringing it up to code or it will be scheduled for demolition.” The northern most section of the building now has bricks falling to the sidewalk from the upper level, just below the roof. That portion of the sidewalk has been barricaded with safety cones. 

Chief Dougherty added that he continues to work on a pitbull ordinance for the town which will be submitted to the Trustees for review and has planned to bring Tracy Weisenhorn to the September meeting to be sworn in as a reserve officer now that a background check has been completed.

A Pueblo based tree trimming company, All Seasons, has been rehired to cut back tree limbs throughout the community that pose a hazard to electrical, telephone and cable wiring in Granada. The $30,000 project has been budgeted by the Trustees and members of the board stated they were happy with the way the company handled the last trimming project.   Elm tree infestation was also discussed at length, with several board members mentioning that they have witnessed first-hand, and had also received calls, about the number of Elm Beetles beginning to strip the leaves from the town’s trees. The City of Lamar Public Works Department will be contacted to see if they have access to spraying equipment that can help alleviate the problem or can provide a company that rents the needed spraying equipment.

Granada resident, Chris Choat, addressed the Trustees, stating he wanted a water meter at a mobile home rental south of his house on South Inge Street to be shut off. He said he’s asked two city employees in the past to take action, but nothing resulted from it. He claimed about $3,000 damage was done since this past February. Choat said the meter is still running, but to his knowledge is not being read. It is shut off under the house, but not at the meter. John McMillan, town maintenance supervisor, told Choat it would be taken care of.

In other action the Trustees approved the liquor license renewal for Sylwa’s Liquor and approved several complex rentals for August through October activities. Building Permits were also approved for John Schulz and Ysabel Vargas.

(Editor’s Note: A press release from the Colorado State Forestry Service detailing the influx of Elm Leaf Beetles in southeast Colorado will be available online for our readers)

By Russ Baldwin