All Entries Tagged With: "John Sutherland"

City Reviewing Water Meter Performance
Lamar City Administrator, John Sutherland, expressed a concern regarding the performance of some of the city’s newer water meters, installed in 2013. He told the city council that some ‘error reads’ from the performance reports weren’t changing, “going on and on, and we got them over and over.” Two dozen of the individual meter […]

Dealing with Panhandlers, City Council Discusses Options
Lamar City Council members acknowledged that while there are some protections under the First Amendment for free speech or assembly which covers panhandling, Lamar residents are also offered some legal protections from panhandlers under local ordinances. Some ideas for regulating or curtailing their activities were discussed during a December 7th work session, but no action […]

What a Difference a Road Makes
After being planned since 1997, Camino de Santa Fe opened to traffic on May 22, 2015. The City of Lamar had taken the initiative to finish the road that connects East Parmenter to East Olive Street and as a consequence, open more through traffic to the Dollar General Store and provide another traffic outlet to Walmart. City […]

Employment Status for Lamar Welcome Center Manager is Altered
The Lamar City Council, minus Mayor Roger Stagner who excused himself from the chambers, engaged in a lengthy discussion regarding terminating the Welcome Center Manager’s contract with the State of Colorado, and hiring the manager as a city employee. Mayor Stagner is married to the manager, Leslie Stagner and he did not take part in […]

Nuisance Yard Sale Ordinance Discussed
Some local residents might have one yard sale a year while their neighbors might conduct one every other week. The Lamar City Council dealt with nuisance or perpetual yard sales during a discussion of city fees and fines proposed for 2016. There was ample discussion during the September 28 work session on the pros […]

Pocket Park Plans Begin with Funding
The Lamar City Council is reviewing a multi-page concept for the Pocket Park proposal. The former parking lot between Daylight Donut and Shore Arts Center, has been closed to cars for the past year, but open to a number of community oriented activities. The most recent was the early September Fall Festival which featured BBQ, […]

Hodge Departing from Lamar’s URA and Main Street Program
Shawna Hodge has submitted her resignation as Lamar’s Main Street Community Coordinator, effective September 30. In her letter, submitted to the City of Lamar on Tuesday September 8, Hodge said she will relocate to the Denver area to pursue a career in similar fields. Hodge is also the Executive Director of Lamar Partnership Incorporated and […]

New Downtown Beautification Programs Approved for Lamar
The Lamar Redevelopment Authority approved $27,000 in Authority funds to purchase and install new concrete flowerboxes for the east and west sides of Main Street in Lamar, from Beech Street to Elm Street. Shawna Hodge, Community Development and Urban Renewal Manager, told the Authority that the new boxes will blend with the existing architectural features […]

Lamar Council Approves Utility Developments
The council authorized an agreement for engineering services for $10,000 for the Main Street Water Distribution System Project Needs Assessment. The goal is to replace the city’s aging water mains underneath Main Street in anticipation of CDOT’s re-surfacing project set to begin in early 2016. A Needs Assessment on the project, costing $10,000, is required […]

Schaefer Selected as Interim Lamar Librarian
Todd Schaefer, a substitute teacher for Wiley middle and junior high school and a board member of the Lamar Library, has been appointed as a replacement for Debbie Reynolds, the former librarian. Schaefer has been a board member for just over a year and has lived in Prowers County with his young family for […]

Council Considers Lights for Lucy’s Tacos
The owner of Lucy’s Tacos food wagon on South Main Street in Lamar has asked the city council if three light poles, similar to the decorative ones along downtown Lamar, could be erected near the new eatery. The spot has caught on with local residents and serves lunch and dinners into the evening hours. It’s […]

Urban Authority Okays Funding for Las Brisas
“Thank you for your consideration and for establishing this organization which can help fund business ventures and re-purpose existing businesses in town,” said Alfred Bergquist, during his attendance at the Monday evening meeting of the Lamar Redevelopment Authority. Lamar Mayor, Roger Stagner, had asked Mr. Bergquist if he had any comments regarding his grant application […]

Interim Librarian Expected Shortly
“The Lamar Library Advisory Board has been exceptionally helpful in providing a list of local candidates to act as the city’s interim librarian while we search for a full-time replacement,” explained Lamar City Administrator, John Sutherland, late last week. The city had announced the retirement of Debbie Reynolds as Librarian for the Lamar Public Library […]

New Road Can Pave the Way for New Commercial Development
Camino de Santa Fe was officially opened to traffic Friday, May 22, with a ribbon cutting attended by representatives from the City of Lamar, Prowers County, Lamar Chamber of Commerce and CDOT. Built by Lamar Public Works crews, this short stretch of roadway now connects East Parmenter to East Olive Street, between Wal-Mart and Dollar General. […]

Lamar Council Okays Funding to Support Southwest Chief Route
Lamar Police Chief Kyle Miller gave the oath of office to the city’s newest officer, Thomas Dunagan, who recently graduated from the Otero Junior College Law Enforcement Agency. He began his orientation training in Lamar on April 30 of this year. “With Officer Dunagan’s hiring, we’re now at our budgeted strength of 20 officers for […]

All About Skin Requests Improvement Grant from URA
Jo Goff, owner of All About Skin, at 201 South 4th Street in Lamar, requested a building improvement grant from the Lamar Urban Renewal Authority this past Monday, April 13. Shawna Hodge, Community Development and Urban Renewal Manager, informed the board the building’s roof is in need of replacement, amounting to $29,102. A letter submitted […]

Highway 287 Water Main Repair Project
Water began erupting from Highway 287, almost under the intersection traffic light at Savage and Main Streets last Monday, March 16. Work crews, according to Lamar Public Works Director, Pat Mason, managed to excavate to the five foot long rupture and repair the eight inch water main. It wasn’t an easy task as the main […]

Growth at Lamar Airport
Recent hangar construction at the Lamar Municipal Airport has helped reduce the lack of adequate storage for airplane owners. The two most recent T-hangars were constructed through private funding, are owned by Peter Page and Dean Reed and are located on city owned land. “With a tight squeeze, we can fit three planes in each […]

Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan Adopted
The Lamar City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan during Monday night’s council meeting. Mayor Roger Stagner and City Administrator John Sutherland specified that many of the plans are contingent on adequate funding and this long-term project will not be completed in just a few years. It will involve […]

Planned Demolition Equals Community Improvement
One Step Up students at Project HOPE at the Lincoln School in North 10th Street in Lamar, hosted members of the city council and other department heads, to a noon lunch this past Friday, February 6. Emily Nieschburg of LiveWell Prowers County, noted that many of the students who were taking part in the Photo […]