City looks to update CDL policy, payroll

Holyoke City Council spent its May 3 meeting discussing the city’s policy for employee commercial driver’s license testing as well as payroll. Both issues were brought up by City Superintendent Mark Brown.

As Brown explained, requirements for CDL testing have recently changed, and entry level driver training with a certified trainer is now required prior to even being able to take the test.

“How far are we willing to go to help them get a CDL?” Brown asked. “Cause if we don’t — if you’re looking at three to five, six thousand dollars to get a CDL test — you’ll never hire anybody cause nobody can afford to fork that out right away to get a test.”

One possible solution is to treat it similarly to cadets being put through police academy by Holyoke Police Department. In that case, the city will pay for it in exchange for working for the city for a certain length of time.

Brown asked council member Kevin Scott what Phillips County is doing about new hires getting their CDLs, and Scott said that the county has not figured it out yet either.

As far as payroll goes, Brown pointed out that with Jeff Deselms moving toward the superintendent role and Jeremy Thompson toward the assistant superintendent role, there are other employees stepping up into different positions as well.

“I think it’s only fair that we sit down and start hashing out some numbers that work for everybody,” Brown said.

The utilities committee, which includes council members Cathy Edge and Gene Bittner, will meet to begin work on the payroll.

Plans sought for Sherman Avenue

Since the last council meeting, the street committee met with Brown and engineer Lou Harmon to discuss South Sherman Avenue, but there was not a consensus about the appropriate next steps.  

Bittner said, “I think we need to get some plans on the table — right or wrong — and go from there so we can critique them and see what will work the best.”

Edge and Bittner instructed Brown to have Harmon draw up a plan, which Brown pointed out will come with an expense.

Resident shares concerns about dogs

Resident Gary Herr attended last week’s meeting to speak to council members about dangerous dogs. He shared that his wife was bitten by a dog close to their home and asked whether the city has a list of dogs that have attacked people in the past.

Police Chief Doug Bergstrom said that there is no such list. Herr suggested that the city consider generating a list and making it available so that people can avoid areas with dangerous dogs.

Officials report

Brown reported several power outages since the last meeting, including three that occurred during the high winds April 22-23 as well as the planned Western Area Power Administration outages April 26 and April 28. Electric crews dealt with numerous other secondary electrical problems due to the wind and worked on installing new underground pipes for the Dollar General.

In the water and sewer department, many repairs were required as people turned on their sprinkler systems and started finding leaks. Additionally, a sprinkler line at the cemetery burst, so crews replaced a section of line and worked on some valves. They’re also busy sending water and wastewater samples to Fort Morgan and Denver and rodding storm sewers. The street crew has been working on crack filling the streets that will be seal coated.

Brown also thanked Terry Hofmeister for his help picking up 18 trees to be planted at the cemetery.

Bergstrom reported that Holyoke Police Department handled or generated 109 calls for service April 15-29. Code enforcement had 11 animal complaints and one municipal code violation.

Bergstrom noted that Clara Sowa passed her Peace Officer Standards and Training test and was scheduled to be sworn in May 5. HPD also received a thank-you note for a recent medical call.

City Clerk/Treasurer Kathy Olofson reported that she received renewals for property casualty insurance through Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency. They are due June 10, so she will be working on those. Olofson also finished the last two reports needed for the audit, and she invited Scott Szabo to attend either the May 17 or June 7 city council meeting.

The new computers ordered for the city office arrived much sooner than anticipated.

Recreation director Victoria Dunker reported that soccer is finishing up and baseball practice starts the week of May 16. As of the meeting, 77 kids were signed up, and she expected close to 100 by the time registration closes.

Dunker shared that a Holyoke Happenings flyer is in the works. The flyer outlines all of the local activities available to youth this summer, and she will send one home with every kid at school.

The Great Outdoors Colorado representative had to postpone her visit to Holyoke, so she will likely be in town next month, Dunker said.

Other business

In other business at the May 3 meeting, council members:

— Approved the local highway finance report to be sent to the state and included in the city’s audit.

— Allowed the Holyoke summer swim team to host a meet for the Plains Tsunami League on Saturday, June 4.

— Hired Hunter Bergstom in the electric department at $24 per hour with a $1 per hour raise after obtaining a CDL.

— Approved a special events permit for Holyoke Chamber of Commerce on Friday, June 17.

— Renewed the liquor license for Los Parra’s Mexican Restaurant.

— Approved a travel request for Chief Bergstrom to attend the 2022 Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Estes Park at a cost of $977 plus use of a patrol vehicle.

— Approved a travel request for Tillie Fisbeck to attend CIRSA signature series in Akron at a cost of $123.94.