Council Receives Funding for Bridge Repair
Russ Baldwin | Feb 10, 2016 | Comments 0
“Team Lamar”; the Lamar City Council sported Bronco jerseys for Monday night’s council meeting, courtesy of Gerry Jenkins, council member. The Broncos, of course, won Sunday’s Super Bowl match against the Carolina Panthers and the council agreed to hold off on city matters long enough for a requested group shot. Maybe they can do it again next year.
The Colorado Special Highway Committee approved a $392,480 grant to the city to improve the Commercial Street Bridge that spans the Lamar Canal into the Industrial Park area. CDOT recently gave the bridge a sufficiency rating of 22.7 on a scale of 1 to 100. The rating deemed the bridge as “structurally deficient” and is required to be closed to traffic or replaced. Because the bridge is central to businesses in the Industrial Park area, the city applied for and received the grant which was awarded this past December. The amount represents 80% of the probable cost to reconstruct the bridge. City Administrator, John Sutherland, told the council the project would probably not begin until 2017 due to financing constraints as the city would still need to fund the balance of the project costs.
It was noted that although city trucks won’t use the Commercial Street Bridge, other businesses, such as Colorado Mills does. “We are legally covered on the situation,” Sutherland said, “as we have posted a weight limit sign on the bridge, which informs the general public on its status.” Some of the city’s share of the costs can be made up with in-kind contributions.
The Lamar City Council approved Police Chief Kyle Miller’s request for vehicle purchases; two 2016 Dodge 4X2 1500 pick-up trucks for $17,715 each and a 2016 Dodge 1500 extended cab pick-up for $26,144. The payments can be made over five years to Valley National Bank at an interest rate of 2.99%. Total cost of the three vehicles is $61,574. The Home Store LLC in Lamar was the lowest of three bids submitted to supply the city with fertilizer for the spring and fall at a cost of $9,670.88.
City Administer Sutherland listed several future events for the council including the Annual Fireman’s Ball, from 6pm to midnight on Friday, February 12, at the Lamar Elks Lodge; Lamar City offices will be closed on Monday, February 15th, Senator Gardner’s Mobile Office will be at the Lamar Library, Monday, February 22, from 1pm to 3:30pm and the PUMA meeting with county officials is set for Monday, February 29th.
The council went into executive session following the brief regular meeting, for a conference with the City Attorney to receive advice on specific legal questions and instructions to negotiators on a litigation matter.
by Russ Baldwin
Filed Under: Business • community • Economy • Featured • Lamar • Law Enforcement • Public Safety • Transportation • Utilities
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