Council tables city’s contribution to chamber of commerce

At their Jan. 18 meeting, Holyoke City Council members tabled acting on the request from Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Holly Ferguson to increase the city’s contribution to the chamber to $12,000 this year. The city contributed $6,000 last year.

Ferguson made the request at the Dec. 7, 2020, meeting and attended the Jan. 4 meeting to answer any questions council members had.

Prior to last week’s meeting, City Attorney Al Wall provided the council with documentation pertaining to donations from the city.

“We do have a lot of new information that bears some study,” Mayor Orville Tonsing said, and the issue was eventually tabled until the Feb. 1 meeting to give council members time to review the documentation.

Airport rescue grant agreement tabled

Council members also tabled signing the airport rescue grant agreement until they get more information from the Federal Aviation Administration.

City Superintendent Mark Brown said that the grant’s present criteria indicate that grant is specifically related to COVID-19, going toward employees of the airport and any type of modifications done at the airport to fight pathogens.

He noted that the city does not have any full-time employees strictly at the airport, so he contacted the FAA and the Colorado Division of Aeronautics.

Brown said the only thing the city could potentially qualify for is the utilities for the airport, but since the city has until Feb. 28 to sign the agreement, the council will wait for the FAA to provide more information.

Council hears reports

Brown reported that the new precision approach path indicator lights have been installed at the airport. The main controller was installed Jan. 20, and the next step is to schedule flight checks.

Council member Gene Bittner asked Brown for an update on the water fill station by the old generation shop in the 100 block of North Baxter Avenue. Last October, Brown reported that it was out of service because the water main leading up to it ruptured under the building.

At last week’s meeting, Brown told council members that the water main is leaking under the foundation of the building next to a major power pole that serves the downtown area. He said they’re looking for a new location, since trying to repair it could disturb it and make it worse.

Brown informed council members that they’re getting close to connecting the wells of Riley Dubbert and Gayln Einspahr to the city’s water supply, which the council approved last August.

Water and sewer crews have been working on quarterly testing for the state and have finished restoring water service to 108 S. Interocean Ave.

Street crews have been busy dragging roads, servicing equipment and picking up tree branches.

Police Chief Doug Bergstrom, although absent from the meeting, submitted a report indicating that HPD handled or generated 42 calls for service from Dec. 29-Jan. 12, including one municipal code violation under code enforcement.

Other business

In other business at the Jan. 18 meeting, council members:

— Heard from resident Gary Herr, who encouraged the council and the city superintendent to schedule a citywide cleanup this spring.

— Increased utility tap fees for 2022.  

— Approved the library employee wages as presented by the Heginbotham Library board of trustees: director Kathy Bornhoft at $47,185 per year, and Cindy Myers, Barb Kreider, Laura Krogmeier and Perla Olivas each at $12.56 per hour.

— Approved the purchases of a hydraulic angle broom for $9,862.81 and an update for a skid-steer loader for $1,746.42 from Wagner Equipment.

— Approved the purchase of a concrete saw from PR Diamond for $2,300.

— Approved the engagement letter for the 2021 year-end audit from Lauer, Szabo & Associates not to exceed $14,300.

— Approved the County Express contribution for 2022 to Northeastern Colorado Association of Local Governments for $1,330.

— Approved the liquor license renewal for Brewed Awakening Coffee & Bake Shop.

— Approved the liquor license renewal for Red’s Liquors.

— Held a 30-minute executive session regarding personnel matters.