City Council sees way to pave road and save

by Bill Knowles
WALSENBURG–  During a regular meeting on Tuesday, City Council heard from Don Saling, the Interim City Administrator, about entering into a contract with APC, a company currently under contract with the Colorado Department of Transportation.  The contract calls for the company to pave I-25 from Walsenburg south to the New Mexico border.
    In order to fullfill the CDOT contract, APC will need around 2 million gallons of water to use in the paving process to complete the project for CDOT.  The city has struck a deal that was approved by the city council on an 8-1 vote allowing the city to sell the needed water to APC for $3 per 1,000 gallons.  The city will receive $6,000 from the company for the 2 million gallons of water. 
    In addition, APC will put down a hot mix patch, at no charge to the city, that measures 12 feet wide and runs  1,000 feet from the gravel entrance at Industrial Road to the new Wastewater Treatment Plant.  The asphalt will be three inches thick.  The work would normally bid out at around $16,000 but the deal for the water and free paving will save the city around $22,000. 
    The city also awarded a $9,894 bid contract to Heath Andreatta Excavation for replacement of a gas transmission pipe that crosses the Purgatoire River.  At the moment the pipe is exposed and could be damaged if the river rises.  The cause of the exposure of the pipe is from natural river erosion. The contract calls for the pipe to be buried under the river. 
    Andreatta has worked on the gas transmission pipe in the past and has knowledge of the difficulties of the project.  The bid is for labor only with the city providing $4,000 worth of material.  The project is estimated to be finished by mid-March.  It is funded in the 2011 budget at $35,000.  Andreatta was the lowest bid.  The highest bid came in from Felix Chavez and Son Construction, LLC at $54,539.81.
    In another action item Jacque Sikes was appointed to a jointly appointed position on the Huerfano Regional Building Authority under Resolution 2011 R-11 by at 9-0 vote.  Sikes had already been reappointed for another three-year term by Huerfano County and the town of La Veta.  The city’s vote ratified the appointment.
    Several extra meetings involving the city have been scheduled for February.  A city Planning and Zoning Commission meeting is scheduled for Feb. 8.  Then on Feb. 15, the city will hold a public hearing on the gas rate increase at 5:30 which will be followed by a regular city council meeting at 6 pm.  On Feb. 28 following the Finance Committee meeting, there will be a workshop meeting between the city, its water attorney, Water Commissioner Doug Brgoch and Water Division 2 Engineer Steve Witte.  They will look at the city’s options on ditch number 5 and information about the Gomez ditch will be made available.