Staff Report
WALSENBURG— On Wednesday, Aug. 11 the Board of County Commissioners approved, with a 3-0 vote, a contract between the San Isabel Electric Association and the County to improve the communications infrastructure used by the county located on Capitol Hill just west of the I-25 bypass.
The joint venture would see a new communications building and tower erected on the site. The current building is old and could be subject to damage from high winds that often sweep across the hill. The proposed building would include new wiring and technology and would further improve county wide communications including emergency dispatch as it moves into a tiered system of communications.
Burlington Northern & Santa Fe is also involved to the degree that their communications tower is in need of repair. San Isabel workers will be helping to stabilize the tower which is out of level and subject to the same winds as the county’s communication shed.
San Isabel will be performing much of the work and will be able to put a dish on the county’s tower as part of the deal. Work should be completed by Sept. 1.
Surveys are in progress at the Huajatolla Valley Estates in order to locate the placement of county water lines in the area in preparation to move residential water meters. Late last year several water meters were damaged during snow removal. The County Commission at the time requested that residents move their water meters back from the roads to prevent the damage.
The home owners association alerted the commission that the project may not be completed before the end of the year. County Commissioners approved an extension with a 3-0 vote while attaching two conditions.
Blue fiber glass poles would be used to mark the locations of the water meters. This would allow county snow plow crews to see where the meters are located and minimize damage to the meters. The second condition calls for the home owners to produce liability insurance to cover any damage to individual meters that might be caused by the crews as they work on snow removal in the area.
RES has offered thecounty $2,500 per mega watt generated in addition to the taxes they would pay on the proposed Silver Mountain wind farm.
