MEEKER | It’s hard to find a bright spot in a pandemic, but one positive might be increased sales tax revenue for local entities. Meeker Town Manager Lisa Cook told the board of trustees they’ve seen a boost in sales tax revenue. With people avoiding out of county shopping trips and online purchases now subject to local sales tax, that resolves some of the “leakage” problem related to people shopping out of town.
The board approved a liquor license permit for the Fair Board to host events on Aug. 7 at the grandstands and Aug. 8 at the 4-H building. Clint Shults, representing the Fair Board, said on Aug. 7 a band is coming to play a small concert, necessitating use of the grandstands, and on Aug. 8 the Fair Board is “entertaining the buyers with a steak dinner and beer garden to offset some of our expenses.” It will be the first time in 20+ years for the event, according to Shults. They will abide by the instructions spelled out by the commissioners and public health.
Travis Adams of TDA Construction, the contractor approved by ERBM and the town for the Circle Park pond project, said the new agreement with the town for the use of the Circle Park bridge during construction of the $424,000 pond is “cost-prohibitive and pointless.”
TDA was asked to provide a bond that would insure that the town would be covered in the event the bridge failed or was damaged during the construction phase.
“At the weights listed I wouldn’t be able to cross [the bridge] at all. It would cost us more to get the bond than to go around the bridge,” Adams told the board, suggesting limiting the number of trips and the weight of the trucks to less than the rated limit of the bridge.
Mayor Kent Borchard asked Adams to provide insurance information to Town Attorney Melody Massih for review.
While the board and staff were in agreement that prior discussions included closing the bridge during construction and not using it for hauling, Adams said he didn’t know anything about that.
Russell Overton, Public Works Superintendent, said he thinks the number of trips combined with the weight will “destroy that bridge,” and adding, “There was a lot of thought put into not using that bridge.” Part of that included an agreement with the cemetery board for a temporary road from the south side of Circle Park up to the cemetery.
Based on recent bids for replacement of a county bridge, the cost of replacing the bridge could be anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million. The town has asked for a $1 million bond. TDA has a performance bond with ERBM, guaranteeing he will finish the project, but that bond would not allow for repairs to the bridge if damaged.
The board went back and forth with Adams, requesting “fine-tuned” numbers for the additional cost of using the cemetery road as originally planned, and ways to protect the bridge if it is used.
Massih was concerned there’s no guarantee an insurance claim would cover damage to the bridge. “A specific performance and payment bond is more specific. This wasn’t part of the deal and we didn’t agree to it in the first place.”
Trustees tabled the matter until the Aug. 4 meeting.
Concerns about the safety of pedestrians crossing Market Street are about to be answered. Trustees approved an agreement with Sturgeon Electric for the Market and Fifth streets crossing project, set to begin in mid-September.
Meeker Police Chief Edward Thompson shared details with the board about the kind of cameras the department will need to acquire in order to comply with Colorado Senate bill 217. The HT is working on a story about the impact of SB-217 on local law enforcement.
Mayor Kent Borchard addressed the Rio Blanco County Commissioners’ motion earlier Tuesday opposing the state mask mandate, saying it ignores the recommendations from public health.
“I personally as mayor encourage all citizens and businesses to comply with the governor’s order,” Borchard said. “I want to see our children be able to return to school this fall. For that to happen we’re going to have to do everything we can to avoid a surge in cases, and I think the way we’re able to do that is to continue social distancing and mask wearing.”
The governor’s mask mandate is in place for 30 days, starting July 16.
By NIKI TURNER | [email protected]
