Sidewalks, landscaping, alert system top library needs

    Filling up the visitors seating at the Jan. 16 Holyoke City Council meeting, the Heginbotham Library Board relayed several areas of concern regarding its 539 S. Baxter Ave. property.
    Safety and preservation of the vital community resource were the underlying goals of all of their requests. President Mary Austin delivered the presentation. Board members Heather Linne-Speidel, Briar Bergner, Susie Vasa and Sandy Triplette, along with librarian Laura Roth and Jim Austin, offered their support.
    Emphasizing that the library houses over 16,000 books and provides services ranging from preschool story time to book delivery for home-bound residents, Austin pointed out that repairs and upgrades will benefit the community and its visitors.
    Six requests were included:
    —The water garden area has excess dirt and pipes that need to be removed so sod can be laid. It will not only look better, but the area will be safer for such activities as the summer reading program.
    —Cracked and crumbling sidewalks are a safety concern. Repairs to the sidewalks were part of the renovation plans in 2006-2007, but they continue to deteriorate.
    —Trees surrounding the area are in need of trimming and inspection for disease. The board would also like to see some of the former plantings replaced in the future.
    —Currently, there is no emergency alert system. In a building with three floors and limited exits, the board suggested such a system is necessary for the safety of employees and patrons.
    —Some areas, including the north fence, are in need of repainting in order to preserve the restoration work that was done in 2006-2007.
    —An old electrical system poses safety hazards. In addition, an upgrade would enable the library to add more computers, meeting the technology needs of the community.
    Austin invited council members to visit the library and said she looks forward to working with the City for the “preservation and enhancement of literacy, as well as our library.”
    
HPD to purchase new SUV
    Council members gave the go-ahead for Holyoke Police Department to purchase a new vehicle and light package. The 2018 Ford Police Interceptor SUV will replace the 2009 Tahoe that Police Chief Doug Bergstrom currently drives.
    The price of the new vehicle is $29,044.46, ordered from Bonanza Ford in Wray. The trade-in value of the Tahoe is $8,500. A light package for the new SUV will be installed by Wireless Advanced Communications at a cost of $11,793.27. Council member Kevin Scott asked whether the lights from the Tahoe could be reused on the Police Interceptor. Bergstrom explained that the different sizes of the vehicles meant that wasn’t a viable option.
    After its order, the vehicle will take approximately eight weeks to arrive, and the lights will take another four to six weeks. The total cost comes out to $32,337.73, while the budgeted amount for a new vehicle was $39,000.
    
Travel requests approved
    A number of travel requests were approved at last Tuesday’s meeting. Mike Roll, Arley Krueger, Duane Werner, Sergio Ramirez, Troy Kent and Jason Redman will be attending Mine Safety and Health Administration training.
    Terri Biersdorfer will be traveling to the 2018 International Code Education Institute in Denver.
    Officer Joe Marcum is attending a class for Colorado open records in Brush. He will also attend a Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor update class in Fort Morgan. He will be using a patrol vehicle for both.
    Officer Mary Seeley will be traveling to Yuma to attend training for domestic violence, child abuse and sex assault, also using a patrol vehicle.  
    
Officials, rec director report
    City Superintendent Mark Brown reported that the street department trimmed the tree branch at the library that council member Gene Bittner had reported at a previous meeting. They also have continued spreading grass at the airport. The crew has begun  taking down part of a wall at the old sewer plant in order to access rock for landscaping at the ballpark.
    The electric department finished taking down the Christmas lights and servicing all trucks and equipment. Diversified Inspections completed the annual dielectric testing on the trucks.
    In addition to helping with the Christmas lights, the water and sewer department replaced a bad control valve at the swimming pool, fixed broken water meters and worked on the floor drain that was frozen at the golf course well house.
    Bergstrom reported that HPD handled or generated 220 calls for service from Dec. 28, 2017, through Jan. 10. Including code enforcement, they wrote 13 citations and two reports and gave out 36 warnings. Code enforcement handled five ordinance violations.
    Outside of that time period, Bergstrom reported, HPD made three arrests on Jan. 11. He expressed his gratitude for the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office and the Sterling Police Department for their assistance in the matter.
    City Clerk/Treasurer Kathy Olofson gave an update on the upcoming April 3 election. At the time of the meeting, two petitions for nomination had been filed and signatures verified for the three city council seats.
    Recreation director Victoria Timm reported the success of her department’s new 3-on-3 basketball tournament that had been held just the day before. A total of 25 teams, made up of about 100 students, participated. Proceeds will be split with the Dragon Booster Club, who co-hosted, and Timm said she would have a report for the next meeting on how much money the tournament brought in.
    Timm noted she is now working on the department’s next program: the Denver Nuggets Skills Challenge. It is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m.
    
Other business
    In other business at the Jan. 16 meeting, Holyoke City Council:
    —Signed a contract for Grand River Institute to complete a Class I Archaeological, Cultural and Historic Resources Inventory for a Limited Impact Review at the airport. The review is required before Crop Production Services can move forward with its new hangar since it will be outside the current fenced boundaries of the airport. CPS will reimburse the City for the cost of the review.
    —Accepted an engagement letter from Lauer, Szabo & Associates PC for the audit of the financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017. The fee for services will not exceed $12,300.
    —Appointed Briar Bergner to a five-year term on the library board.
    —Held a 33-minute executive session for a conference with the City attorney and to determine positions relative to negotiations.